Heritage Centre, Clones
Flynn Furney Environmental Consultants were commissioned by Monaghan County Council to carry out an Appropriate Assessment Screening of a very interesting project in Clones. Co. Monaghan.
It is proposed that the now derelict Lennard Arms Hotel, a 19 th century landmark and registered building in the town’s main square, will be extensively renovated and converted to become a heritage centre that will be accessible to the public. The building is immediately adjacent a part of an Augustinian priory (known locally as ‘The Wee Abbey’) and graveyard. FFEC had already carried out ecological assessments of the heritage sites here to ensure no impacts would occur to protected flora or fauna.
However, a further assessment was required to ensure that the proposed project would not have any impacts on KiIrooskey Lough Cluster Special Area of Conservation. This is the only SAC in Co. Monaghan and is a little over a kilometre from the hotel site. KiIrooskey Lough Cluster and all sites within 15km of the proposed development were assessed for potential impacts that may arise. None were identified and was recommended that the proposed project would therefore ‘pass’ the first stage of Appropriate Assessment. This assessment was adopted by Monaghan County Council and permission for planning was given for this novel project.