Mayo councillors push for infrastructure improvements to ‘encourage people to come back to live in villages’
Councillors in the Ballina Municipal District have agreed to write to both Uisce Éireann and Mayo County Council seeking the provision of a sewage system for Attymass village.
The meeting heard that securing planning permission to build in rural areas remains challenging, and members said that providing essential infrastructure such as wastewater services would help encourage young people to build in their home village.
The motion was raised by Cllr John O’Hara, who described Attymass as a “well established” village and said the request for a sewerage system was “very little to ask for”.
He said contacting Uisce Éireann and the county council would help ensure the issue is placed on the agenda for potential future funding.
“Down the road it will be a good tourism area for us all,” he said, adding that it was also important for residents in Attymass to have access to proper wastewater services.
The motion was seconded and supported by Cllr Joe Faughan, who said a sewerage system would unlock potential for further housing development in the area.
He noted the ongoing difficulties in obtaining rural planning permission, adding that many local people wish to build in their own community but are met with red tape when trying to do so.
Cllr Annie May Reape also supported the proposal, pointing out that Attymass is home to a National School and to the Father Peyton Centre. She said it was important to “encourage people to come back to villages like Attymass”.
Cllr Michael Loftus agreed, saying that improved wastewater infrastructure would make it easier for people to secure planning permission to build in their own area.
He said he had recently attended a presentation on the Mayo County Development Plan, where rural housing challenges were discussed, including access to infrastructure such as wastewater services.
“To see [a sewerage system] coming would be necessary to develop the village, I would very much support it,” he said.
However, Cllr Loftus also cautioned about writing to state bodies such as Uisce Éireann, saying that that councils can sometimes be “fobbed off”.
He said the council should seek either a clear timeframe confirming whether the project is feasible or a definitive answer if it is not possible.
He added that, if Uisce Éireann says it cannot be done, councillors could then “fight harder” by stepping up lobbying efforts through local TDs.
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.