Portlaoise-based expanded polystyrene insulated concrete form (ICF) manufacturer Castleforms Ltd has submitted a planning application to Laois County Council for a new manufacturing unit, office accommodation, and storage facility at Portlaoise Enterprise Park in Togher.

Laois Live reported that the application, filed by Tom Maher, covers a combined floor area of 6,344 sq m across three structures on a site at the edge of Clonminam Business Park, close to the J17 National Enterprise Park.

The proposed manufacturing unit is the largest element of the scheme at 4,588 sq m with a parapet height of 10.5 metres, while the office accommodation spans 730 sq m and a separate storage unit covers 1,026 sq m at seven metres in height.

The development includes 50 car parking spaces, three accessible spaces, five EV charging spaces, and 50 bicycle spaces, along with two access points, internal roadways, landscaping, and associated above and below-ground infrastructure.

The facility is intended to employ between 30 and 50 staff, comprising 20 office-based personnel on standard daytime hours and 20 to 30 production staff on a rotating shift basis, with the plant operating on up to a 24-hour cycle.

The application was received by Laois County Council on 3 April but was deemed invalid on 8 April due to a delay in obtaining confirmation from Uisce Éireann regarding utility connections. A resubmission is expected once the utility confirmation is received.

Castleforms, which began trading in 2013 and commissioned its current manufacturing facility in 2016, won the Innovation in Construction Products Award at the Irish Building and Design Awards in March 2026 for its ICF FireBlock product. The company supplies ICF construction systems to projects across Ireland.

See the full details on Castleforms' Portlaoise development application.