Two of Armagh’s beautiful and historic Georgian townhouses on Russell Street could be converted into 12 new apartments.
Proposals for the development have been drawn up and lodged with Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council for consideration.
Two separate applications – seeking full planning permission and listed building consent – are being made in the hope of turning the former offices into residential accommodation.
The properties in question are at numbers 18 and 20 Russell Street, the lower end of a landmark Georgian terrace facing onto the picturesque Mall.
The application comes after Armagh I recently reported that proposals to convert another listed building at St Mark’s Place, on Mall East, into apartments and housing had been given the go-ahead.
Approval was delivered courtesy of the Planning Appeals Commission, which overturned ABC Council’s decision to reject those plans.
This latest application indicates that a total of 12 apartments are planned at the neighbouring Russell Street properties, the applicant being Conor Curran, of the Dungannon-based company Coral Ltd.
The proposal is for a change of use from office accommodation, with “internal restructuring works” to create the 12 new apartments.
According to the application, the properties had previously been used as offices up until the start of June this year.
The new units – if approved – would comprise nine single-bedroom apartments and three two-bed room apartments.
A supporting planning statement advises that they would be “self-contained”.
It adds: “The site comprises two adjoining five-storey listed terraced properties located within Armagh City Centre.
“The proposal seeks to retain the overall external character of the buildings due to their listed status, while reusing the internal space to create much-needed city-centre residential accommodation.”
The 12 apartments would be of “various sizes”, and there would be “no extensions or external alterations” which would affect the listed facades.
Meanwhile, the “internal reconfiguration will be sensitively designed to preserve and enhance listed features where present”.
No private amenity space or “in curtilage parking” is proposed due to “site constraints and heritage value”.
By means of justification, the supporting statement explains: “The site, due to its historic and terraced nature, offers no scope for private or communal amenity space. Both buildings occupy the full depth of their plots, and the available rear yard is constrained by the built form, existing access arrangements, and the heritage status of the structures.
“Providing meaningful private or shared amenity space would require significant alteration to the built footprint, which would compromise the historic character and listed fabric of the buildings.”
But it cites the availability of – and proximity to – the Mall as being beneficial and sufficient in this regards.
“The proposal benefits from its immediate adjacency to the Mall, a large, mature, and well-maintained public park located just a short walk from the site,” adds the statement. “The Mall provides extensive opportunities for recreation, walking, socialising, and outdoor relaxation. It is widely used by residents and visitors and serves as a vital green lung within Armagh city centre.
“The park includes seating areas, tree-lined walkways, and open grassed spaces, making it a valuable amenity equivalent for residents of the proposed apartments.”
There is a yard to the back on Russell Street, accessed via an existing archway which serves two functions – a fire escape route in compliance with Building Control requirements, and servicing and storage for waste and recycling bins, to be located “discreetly at the rear”.
The two properties are Grade B2 listed buildings.
A separate design and access statement explains that their significance is “derived from their symmetrical façades, traditional brickwork, slate roofs, and original sash windows, all of which make a positive contribution to the Conservation Area”.
There would be “minimal alterations to the external appearance”, to ensure the properties’ “character is preserved”
This would feature on existing brickwork, roofs and timber sash windows. There would be “replacement of fabric only where repair is not feasible, with materials matching the original”.
“Modern services” would be “introduced discreetly to avoid impact on historic fabric”.
Inside, the intention is for the “reconfiguration of internal partitions to create apartments, while retaining significant features such as staircases, cornices, fireplaces, and original plan form where possible”.
In terms of architectural and historic interest, the two five-storey buildings are described as “fine examples of late Georgian townhouses”, with “symmetrical façades, traditional red brick construction, pitched natural slate roofs, stone cills, and vertically sliding sash windows”.
The design statement adds: “Original interior features, including staircases, cornicing, panelled doors and fireplaces, survive and contribute to their character. Their scale, proportions, and detailing are representative of Armagh’s Georgian building tradition.
“The properties reflect the development of Armagh in the 18th and 19th centuries as an ecclesiastical and administrative centre. They provide evidence of the city’s planned Georgian character and the expansion of professional and commercial activities in the urban core.
“Their continued use over two centuries illustrates the adaptability of the townhouse typology.”
The change of use will, the applicant believes, be for the betterment of Armagh and Russell Street in particular.
The design statement concludes: “The scheme will secure the viable future use of the properties, providing high-quality residential accommodation and contributing to the vitality of the city centre.”
The proposals will now be advertised shortly.
