Radleigh Developments, which last December shelved its plans to develop a £130 million housing and leisure complex at Durrow Abbey near Tullamore, has reactivated the project following an offer by Duchas, the Heritage Service, to help in preparing a conservation plan for the site.
Radleigh, whose principal is Mr John Maher, from Roscrea, had originally proposed a 105-bedroom hotel, 475 houses or apartments, an 18-hole golf course and a leisure centre on a 300-acre estate which included the abbey site.
Duchas, in a letter to planning consultants Frank L. Benson and Partners, who act for the developer, referred to a meeting "with representatives of this Department" in February where a conservation plan for the site had been discussed. "In the light of the fact that the Minister (for Arts and Heritage, Ms de Valera) proposes to invest in the restoration of the church and the safeguarding of the high cross and other features in the graveyard . . . the Department wishes to participate fully in the preparation of the plan."
A copy of the letter was sent to the Heritage Council, an independent statutory body, which had joined An Taisce in appealing to An Bord Pleanala against Offaly County Council's decision to grant planning permission for the original development.
The Heritage Council had argued the plans were premature because "the nature and extent of the archaeological and architectural significance" of the site remained unknown.
Describing Durrow Abbey as a place of major international significance, it said the scale of the scheme would overwhelm such visible monuments as the abbey's 9th-century high cross. It said Durrow was the only monastic site in Ireland definitively identified to have been founded by St Columcille. It had been an important Columban monastery, a place of burial of Irish kings and the site of an Augustinian abbey.
The director of the National Museum, Dr Pat Wallace, had also been highly critical of the proposed development.
The Heritage Council had cited a policy document, Framework and Principles for the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage, issued by Ms de Valera which laid down new ground rules for developments affecting archaeological sites. "There should always be a presumption in favour of avoiding developmental impacts on the archaeological heritage,' the document said, and only the most compelling reasons could justify the removal - or movement - of ancient monuments.
Under the scheme none of the visible monuments would be directly affected, Radleigh argued. Indeed, it had agreed to hand over the core monastic site and an area around the nearby holy well to Duchas, along with car-parking space. Nonetheless, Mr Maher decided to put the development on hold and withdraw from the scheduled hearing.
In the light of the Duchas imprimatur, however, Mr Maher has informed the planning authorities that he is "seeking to bring a new scheme forward" for its determination. "In order to do this we would request the making of a variation of the Offaly County Development Plan 1996" - to facilitate "a mixed use development at Durrow Abbey demesne".
What is now envisaged, he indicated in a letter to the council on March 26th, is a golf club, hotel, health and leisure centre, equestrian facilities, "residential uses" and a business park. He identified the "core issues" to be addressed, which would include "the monastic site - and how this can be made available to the public, via Duchas". Under the heading "other archaeological issues" it indicated that Radleigh had "undertaken extensive archaeological geotechnical surveys as part of the previous application and following Offaly County Council's decision". These were at an advanced stage.
Since Radleigh's withdrawal of its appeal, the letter said, the company had had "a number of positive meetings" with both Duchas and the Heritage Council. "The Heritage Council suggested that in bringing a scheme forward, we undertake, in association with that, a statement of cultural significance for the proposed scheme."
Last week Offaly County Council voted to vary its county development plan to facilitate in advance the project going ahead if planning permission is granted.