Apartments proposal for former Lake County site
Plans have been lodged for a major redevelopment of the former Lake County nightclub site in Mullingar, to include 27 new apartments and retail and commercial space.
The application by Zirbac DLK Limited, a company registered in Carrickmacross, Monaghan, seeks permission for the redevelopment of the site fronting Castle Street and Spoutwell Lane.
The proposal would see the remaining derelict structures on the long-standing brownfield site demolished and replaced with a four-to-five-storey mixed-use building.
The development would provide 27 apartments comprising a mixture of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom homes.
Two ground-floor retail units would be accessed directly from Castle Street, while a further commercial unit would be accessed from Spoutwell Lane. A shared entrance lobby would serve the apartments and commercial premises.
The plans also include private open spaces for residents, an internal courtyard, bicycle storage, bin storage, stair and lift cores, landscaping and drainage infrastructure.
Roof-mounted photovoltaic panels are also proposed as part of the development, along with utility services and other associated site works.
The application includes the demolition of all remaining derelict structures on the site, including the existing front wall facing Castle Street and a two-storey structure at the rear accessed from Spoutwell Lane.
The developers say the proposal follows a pre-planning consultation with Westmeath County Council on March 23, 2026, during which a number of issues were raised for consideration as part of a formal application.
A comprehensive daylight assessment has since been carried out, examining both the proposed apartments and neighbouring properties. According to the application documentation, the assessment found that acceptable daylight levels would be achieved throughout the development.
The planning submission also includes contextual elevations, verified views and three-dimensional visualisations intended to demonstrate how the new building would relate to the existing Mullingar streetscape.
Details of pedestrian, residential, commercial and servicing movements have also been submitted, including a dedicated access and movement drawing showing how the ground floor would operate.
A dedicated waste management facility is proposed at ground-floor level beside Spoutwell Lane. The retail units would be provided on a shell-and-core basis, and arrangements for individual retailers’ waste to be dealt with would be part of future fit-outs.
The site is immediately adjacent to the curtilages of two protected structures. The applicants state that the proposed development does not involve any works to, or physical alteration of, either protected structure or its curtilage. The planning documents describe the project as an opportunity to regenerate a long-standing brownfield site in Mullingar town centre.
The developers say the scheme would provide new residential accommodation while also creating an active commercial frontage along Castle Street, which they argue would contribute to the vitality and viability of the town centre.
The application also clarifies the site’s former use, which included a nightclub, offices and retail space with associated storage.
The planning documentation notes that a previous permission was not implemented before it expired and therefore cannot be regarded as the established existing use of the site.
The application will now be considered by Westmeath County Council as part of the normal planning process, and submissions and observations from members of the public will be considered before a decision is made.