Donegal County Council permits 19 apartments on former Lifford factory site

Planning permission has been granted to construct 19 apartments in Lifford on a site that was once home to the Donegal Shirt Factory.

The listed applicant, Niall Devine, has been permitted by Donegal County Council to facilitate the demolition of the partially-constructed building at the site on Station Road, and has also increased permission to build 19 residential units, up from 17 units.

Mr Devine’s prior planning application for the site was submitted in 2023, in which he was granted permission for 17 residential units.

The site, now known as Bridgeview Apartments, has been subject to numerous planning applications since 2005, when Donegal County Council gave conditional planning permission for two apartment blocks totalling 30 units, and each block having a roof garden. 

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An estate agent's office was also proposed for the site. 

Bridgeview Apartments is built on the site of the Donegal Shirt Factory, which closed suddenly in 1999, costing 136 employees their jobs. 

British company, Austin Reed, which ran the factory, blamed competition from low-cost countries and the strength of sterling, pushing up export prices for the factory's closure. 

Donegal County Council granted planning permission with 22 conditions, including a condition that prior to the commencement of the development, the developer shall provide adequate security to the Planning Authority for the provision and completion of all services required in the sum of €10,000, either by a bond of a banking or insurance company, or a cash deposit, or another such security that the Council may approve.

Another condition which was enforced was for the applicant to pay a contribution of €14,905.93 in respect of public infrastructure and facilities benefiting development in the area of the Planning Authority that is already provided or is intended will be provided by the Authority.