A major new assisted living community for older people, alongside a transitional care home and significant sports upgrades for St. Lawrence College in Loughlinstown, Dublin, has been granted planning permission. The development was designed by Douglas Wallace Consultants and brought forward by Clopen Capital under its 11 Senior Living brand. The scheme will comprise approximately 240,000 sq ft, with an estimated gross development value (GDV) of €115 million.
Located on lands at St. Lawrence College, the project is situated on a site zoned Sustainable Neighbourhood Infrastructure (SNI), a designation intended to support and protect community-focused uses. Within this framework, the scheme has been carefully designed as a purpose-built assisted living community for people aged over 65, supported by on-site amenities and a dedicated transitional care home serving the local area as a step-down facility.
The development will deliver approximately 120 assisted living homes arranged around a generous central open space intended to foster a keen sense of connection and belonging. In addition, the 180-bedroom Transitional Care Home will support people moving from acute hospital care back to independent or supported living within their own community, helping older residents remain close to family, neighbours and familiar services.
As part of the planning permission, the scheme will also deliver a significant package of sports and community benefits for St. Lawrence College and the wider neighbourhood. This includes the provision of two new multi-use games areas and upgrades to the school’s existing sporting facilities at the front of the site, representing a comprehensive enhancement of the school’s sporting infrastructure. While the school will retain full control and management of the pitches and courts, the facilities will continue to be made available to local sporting organisations by arrangement. The intention is that the upgraded amenities will operate as a shared resource for both students and the surrounding community.
Damian Meehan, Director of Douglas Wallace Consultants, said the project had been carefully shaped through collaboration with local stakeholders. “From the outset, this has been a community-centric design, developed through meaningful engagement with local residents and stakeholders to ensure it responds positively to the needs of the area. We believe it will add real and lasting value to the local community, not only through high-quality homes for older people, but through shared amenities, open space and opportunities for connection. We are delighted that the planners have supported the development and we thank them for their input and valuable contributions throughout the process.”
Beyond the sports improvements, the development has been shaped around the principles of community, wellbeing and intergenerational connection. At its centre will be a large open space designed as a community garden for residents, including allotments where older people can grow their own food and spend time outdoors. The scheme will also include a community room for local meetings and events, a neighbourhood plaza providing an attractive public gathering space, and a multi-generational café incorporating training and programmes that bring together older residents and younger people from the area.
Eoin O’Sullivan, Managing Director of Clopen Capital, said, “We are very proud to offer this bespoke, age-appropriate living solution, designed to help older people retain their independence with the support they need. By combining purpose-built assisted living homes with a dedicated transitional care facility and shared community amenities, the scheme responds to a growing need for high-quality later-life living and care. We look forward to progressing the development and bringing this vision to life.”
The project follows an extensive period of engagement with the local community and the local authority to ensure the design responded meaningfully to local needs and opportunities. For more information about Douglas Wallace see www.douglaswallace.com
