2021:096 - Home Avenue, Newry, Down

It was proposed to construct new annexes on the northern and southern ends of the existing nursing home complex at 1 Home Avenue, Newry, to provide additional accommodation, conversion of the chapel into additional accommodation and the construction of an internal link between the two buildings. This new structure would also house a larger kitchen block as well as the provision of a new entrance to the east of the existing, and 41 car parking spaces.

The Convent House and Chapel are both recorded Historic Buildings (HB16/30/014 A and B), however Historic Environments Division considered impacts on these buildings, and, as noted in the formal planning report from the Newry Mourne and Down case officer, they had no objections to the final revised details. HED did however condition a pre-development archaeological evaluation of the site.

The site consisted of a number of steeply-cut terraces, dug into the existing natural hill slope. The ‘modern’ nursing home building sits on one, with the Convent House and Chapel on another and the formal gardens are located on the lowest terrace, close to the western end of the site.

Testing took the form of two machine-dug trenches across the area of the proposed car park to the south of the convent complex, and, due to the restricted space, two test pits along the line of the proposed access road to the west of the convent.

The results of the testing indicated that pre-development works in the early 19th century created a level scarp on which Neeham Thompson built his original house. These works effectively removed any pre-existing archaeological deposits in the area. In addition, the proposed carpark development to the south will largely be within modern made ground and thus any deposits which might have survived the 19th-century building works in this area will be preserved in situ.

AHC Ltd, 36 Ballywillwill Road, Castlewellan, Co. Down BT31 9LF