Second time lucky as Tipperary councillors agree housing land zoning amendment
Tipperary councillors have approved an amendment to the county development plan that will zone an additional 161 hectares of land for housing after failing to reach agreement earlier this month.
At the plenary meeting of Tipperary County Council, all 40 councillors were asked to vote on an amendment to the county development plan which would have seen more land across the county zoned for housing use.
However, councillors could not come to an agreement, with concerns raised about the lands that were to be zoned.
Now, councillors have reached an agreement that would see 161 hectares (397 acres) of land designated as residential, clearing the way for thousands more houses to be delivered.
At a workshop following the plenary meeting, councillors agreed on eight additional sites that should be either rezoned, or keep their existing designation.
Among the sites to be zoned as residential is one at Hayfield Manor, outside Thurles, allowing a partially built housing estate to be completed.
At the plenary meeting, Thurles-based councillor Micheál Lowry said that the council would be “missing the boat” if this site wasn’t rezoned.
“There was a submission in Thurles in relation to the lands around Hayfield Manor, it was ruled that it wasn’t suitable for a variety of reasons, but we granted planning permission on that site, it’s an unfinished estate,” Cllr Lowry said.
“It’s the only one remaining in Thurles. I’m saying that land needs to be part of this process going forward. There’s no way that in good conscience that any councillor in the Thurles area can leave an unfinished estate like that sitting outside of this process when we have been tasked with zoning land that will deliver houses,” he added.
Another site that was included in the amendment was the Nenagh site of the water tower, which Cllr Seamie Morris said was “part of the social fabric of Nenagh”.
“The locals know nothing about [rezoning plans], and that’s something I wouldn’t want to happen,” Cllr Morris said.
The water tower is “part of the social fabric” of Nenagh, he added, saying that the town’s former military barracks would be a better site for house building.
Following the workshop, the council decided not to zone this land for housing, saying that keeping it for amenity and community services use would “retain and protect an important landmark in the Nenagh townscape”.
Elsewhere, two additional sites in Tipperary town were voted to be zoned as residential, with one site on the Limerick Road changing from employment use to new residential, while another at Collegelands will change from town environs to new residential.
Local businessman Maurice Casey said that the land he co-owns on the Limerick Road could provide up to 78 new houses and apartments.
“In May 2007 we [paid] engineers to work on the planning permission application for this site, however, permission was unsuccessful,” Mr Casey said.
“Now, 19 years later, I am still trying to develop this site,” his submission added.
In deciding to rezone this site, the council said the change would “activate residential development”.
The eight new amendments were adopted, alongside the recommendations of the chief executive’s report, which will unlock land for thousands of new houses countywide.