Contentious plans for prominent Ballina site are withdrawn
CH Care Services Limited had already placed a sign outside the property stating it was to be developed into a nursing home.
A planning application to convert a former secondary school in Ballina into a 34-unit apartment complex has been withdrawn following a request from Mayo County Council for further information.
CH Care Services Limited had sought permission to change the use of the vacant St Mary’s Secondary School building to a residential development comprising 34 apartments and a creche facility. The proposed development would have seen the former school converted into a mix of one and two-bedroom apartments, as well as a studio apartment, with eight units at ground-floor level and 26 units on the upper floor.
Plans also included a creche, accessible toilet facilities, communal access areas, storage rooms, service rooms and mechanical rooms, alongside internal alterations to the existing building and changes to the site’s external layout.
The local authority submitted a request for further information to CH Care Services on January 30, 2026, asking for additional details on several aspects of the application. Among the issues raised were whether the apartments would meet minimum floor area requirements and standards set out in national planning guidelines for urban housing developments. The council also requested further information on proposed private and public open spaces, and for clarity around how many parking spaces would be provided within the development.
Planners further asked that CH Care Services contact Uisce Éireann in order to assess the feasibility of connection to public water and wastewater infrastructure. They also sought details of a comprehensive landscaping scheme for the site, including public space provision and clarification around a separate green area to the south of the development near the former Convent of Mercy grounds.
The applicant was given six months to provide the requested information. However, on July 27, 2026, Mayo County Council notified third parties who had lodged submissions in relation to the plans that the application had been withdrawn.
The Convent Hill Estate Residents' Association had submitted an objection to the proposal in December 2025, with more than 60 residents signing the submission. Residents raised concerns about increased traffic associated with the development, including construction activity and future traffic coming from 34 new households and a creche. They said this could create additional safety risks for pedestrians using McDermott Street and the access roads into Convent Hill Estate. Residents noted the already increasing traffic in the area due to the ongoing extension of Ballina District Hospital, arguing that the residential development would add to congestion.
The group also raised concerns that the proposed provision of 40 parking spaces would not be sufficient, stating that many households have more than one car, and that the development could lead to overspill of parking on surrounding residential roads.
Residents argued that the site was not located close to a high-quality public transport corridor, meaning future residents would likely remain car-dependent, which they said would conflict with national and local planning objectives.
The objection also raised concerns regarding the density of the development, claiming it would not be in keeping with the character of the surrounding Convent Hill residential area and would represent an inefficient use of zoned and serviced land.
Concerns were also expressed about privacy, overlooking, increased noise and light pollution, and the visual impact of the proposed apartments.
The residents stated that the development would “create an overwhelming sense of enclosure” for neighbouring properties.
The submission also highlighted the proximity of the protected structure of the former Convent of Mercy, stating that development close to the historic building could impact on the architectural character and heritage of the area.
The former St Mary’s Secondary School site has been vacant since September 2022 and was sold privately to CH Care Services Ltd.
Following the sale, signage was put up at the entrance of the site indicating plans for a nursing home development, though no planning application for such a proposal has been submitted to the council.
The building also received a planning exemption for use as an International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) centre, but the Department of Integration later rejected a proposal to use the former school for this purpose.
