Redevelopment LandA 20.75-acre site, including the former Lapple plant, on the Dublin Road in Carlow town is being sold by tender on October 18th through Savills HOK. It has an AMV of €22 million.

The site, which is being sold by AGV Irish Leasing Ltd, is located at the junction of the Dublin Road (N9) and the O'Brien Road (N80) linking Dublin, Tullamore, Rosslare and Waterford. It is also close to the Carlow Business and Technology Park and within 1km from Carlow town.

The site has road frontage of 240 metres onto the Dublin Road and 280 metres onto the O'Brien Road. It is zoned objective F "to provide for industrial and related uses" in the Carlow Town Development Plan 2003, which permits general commercial, industrial and retail uses.

A draft local area plan is being prepared for the area, which is due to be presented to Carlow County Council shortly.

Due to the site's position within the town, the agent says there is potential for higher value uses. A submission has recently been made to this effect to the county council by town planning consultants Tom Philips & Associates.

The site is being sold by a company, which will result in a stamp duty saving to the purchaser.

According to Cathal Kelly of Savills HOK, the property represents an opportunity to acquire a site with potential for higher value uses in one of Ireland's busiest commuter towns. He says another site in the area recently achieved over €30 million in a tender sale.

Carlow town is a major centre for employment in the county and region with a number of well-established multi-nationals, like Braun, and the Institute of Technology Carlow, which has a student body of 6,000.

Carlow is popular with commuters to Dublin and has five daily train services and numerous bus services, both public and private, running to Dublin city. The Carlow bypass, which is due for completion in the summer of 2008, will help cut travel times for commuters.