Council approves SteriPack plans for tobacco factory site
Westmeath County Council has given the green light to the Clara-based firm SteriPack Solutions to carry out works to the former Imperial Tobacco premises on Mullingar's Dublin Road.
The firm announced in April that it was planning an investment of âseveral millionâ euro as it creates a lifesciences park at the site.
SteriPack has already moved in to the building, as it transfers its headquarters from Clara to Mullingar.
âWe want to say this week we are delighted with the support from Westmeath County Council in relation to pushing through planning permission in an efficient way,â a spokesperson for SteriPack said.
The factory building that was, for 50 years, home to Imperial Tobacco in Mullingar, officially came into the ownership of SteriPack on April 27, and the very next day, their application was lodged with Westmeath County Council.
As a high-tech company, SteriPack âs requirements are for a high-spec finish with modern clean environments suitable for the development of products for the pharmaceutical and medical fields.
âWe will be starting with laboratory space,â the spokesperson said.
The application submitted on behalf of SteriPack Solutions by Malachi Cullen Consulting Engineers was for the change of use from a warehouse area to new offices, toilets, stores, canteen, cleanrooms, research laboratory and a new reception lobby, including all internal modifications.
It further sought permission for a reception extension, a new separate screen wall to the side of the building, and the installation of two new external doors to the north elevation.
The application also indicated intent to change the existing south, east and west elevation finishes to selected metal cladding finishes complete with new external windows and doors, together with all associated site works.
The site on which the development is to be located measures 0.3879 hectares and the gross floor space of the existing building comes to 9,273 square metres.