Canal Side Homes In Athy Conservation Area May Be Replaced With New Builds, Council Says

Monday, 8 December 2025 12:36

By Martin Osborne - Head Of News

Kildare County Council says a feasibility study has been carried out and submitted to the Planning Department, examining whether the existing buildings can be adapted for social housing or whether they should be replaced with new builds on the current footprint.

Questions still remain over the future of derelict housing units at Canal Side in Athy, despite a feasibility study now being completed.

The update was given to councillors in response to a question from Labour Councillor Aoife Breslin, seeking clarity on plans to redevelop the site.

"The feasibility study also assessed the existing buildings to see if they are viable for adaptation to provide social housing or if a reinstatement of
contemporary buildings per the existing footprint is the most viable option," a council spokesperson said.

However, the site faces multiple constraints.

The units are located within an architectural conservation and natural heritage area, with protected views, and sit alongside the planned Greenway and Barrow Blueway Scheme.

The council says a series of surveys - including structural, asbestos and topographical assessments - have already been completed, but negotiations with planners on an agreed redevelopment approach are ongoing.

Those discussions are not expected to conclude until early 2026.

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