2024:458 - 63 Clanbrassil Street, Townparks, Dundalk, Louth

The development is located on the west side of Clanbrassil Street to the rear of No. 63, in Townparks townland, Dundalk. Permission is being sought for a single storey extension to the existing retail premises to provide a store and associated site works.

In a response from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Development Applications Unit noted that as the proposal was located within the zone of notification associated with the Historic Town of Dundalk LH007-119—-, they recommended that a pre-development Archaeological Impact Assessment be undertaken.

It was proposed to test the site via a series of three machine-dug test trenches of varying lengths, located across the foundations and the body of the proposed new build. Works were carried out on 2 December 2024. Excavation of the east end of the first trench revealed compact natural subsoil some 3m below present ground levels and a collapsing trench side precluded continuing with trenching. The switch to test pits, five in total, revealed that the undisturbed subsoil ranged between 2.3m and 3.75m below present ground level and was in all cases overlain by at least 2m of garden soil which contained red brick fragments and relatively modern pottery.

As the depth of the garden soil precluded employing strip foundations, it was proposed to use piles. In line with English Heritage recommendations the cumulative impact from foundations in an historic urban context should be a maximum of 5% of the overall area of the development. In this case, including all piles, ground beams and service lines, it will be 1.136%.

It is recommended, subject to discussions with and the approval of the relevant heritage authorities, that the  development, using the proposed piling regime, be allowed to proceed without the need for further archaeological involvement.