Social homes in Tipperary approved despite claims they ‘shouldn’t be encouraged’ in estate
Planning permission for two homes in Tipperary has been granted, despite claims from residents that an overall plan for the area states social, affordable or high-density housing should not be encouraged in their estate.
A&G Thomond Builders applied to Tipperary County Council for planning permission to add two semi-detached homes to the Cullenagh estate in Ballina, on the shores of Lough Derg.
The two homes would be built on an empty site in the estate, which was built more than 40 years ago, and would add two two-bedroom social homes to the estate.
The Cullenagh Residents’ Group lodged an objection to the plans before the council, saying that the semi-detached houses would not be in keeping with the detached nature of the estate as it stands, and that the area’s master plan says that social, affordable or high-density housing shouldn’t be encouraged in the estate.
"Cullenagh is characterised by detached dwellings only, generous plot widths, consistent front building lines, uniform scale and massing, and a low-density suburban form.
"The proposed semi-detached pair introduces a different typology and density into a detached-only estate. This is a structural change to the grain of development,” the residents’ group said.
The group added that adding social housing to an entirely privately-owned estate raises “deep concerns”.
"The residents are deeply concerned that this application is being advanced primarily in response to Part V delivery pressure associated with a wider development strategy, rather than on the basis of the inherent planning suitability of this specific site,” they said.
Part V comes when a private developer builds homes that are then given to the council to be used as social and affordable houses.
The Cullenagh Residents’ Group argued that sites closer to the centre of Ballina, closer to bus stops and footpaths would be more suitable for social housing.
"We further submit that the proposed delivery of Part V housing at a peripheral, edge-of-settlement location that is not served by public transport, has no bus stop within reasonable walking distance, and lacks safe and continuous pedestrian or cycle connectivity to Marine Village and the core of Ballina, would result in inherent car dependency and poor integration,” they argued.
The residents also referred to the Cullenagh Master Plan, developed in 2006 to address inconsistent planning and infrastructure issues in the estate. They argued that the proposal would be contrary to this plan.
"The piecemeal advancement of development contrary to the plan-led system and contrary to the Cullenagh Master Plan’s coordinated, plan-led framework and connectivity assumptions [means] the proposed development would constitute an unsatisfactory and unsustainable form of development,” they added.
However, an agent for the developer said that adding the social homes is in keeping with the overall master plan.
"The two units to be supplied on this site will meet the Part V commitment of the overall master plan,” planning files show.
Despite the concerns of residents, council planners said that the Cullenagh Master Plan is not a statutory document, and therefore, plans for houses in the estate do not need to comply with it.
"A number of the submissions received make reference to the Cullenagh Master Plan, I note this is not a statutory document and it is not referenced in the Tipperary County Development Plan. Therefore, the proposal does not need to comply with the Cullenagh Master Plan,” the council planner said.
"While the dwellings differ to the prevailing dwelling type in the area which comprises larger detached dwellings of varying designs the dwellings proposed are considered visually acceptable for the site and in the context of the existing dwelling types in the area,” they added.
Planning permission was granted for the houses, subject to 11 conditions.
Included among the conditions are that the developer pay Tipperary County Council a contribution of €5,989 for connection to public services, and that the developer engage with Uisce Éireann to arrange connecting the new homes to the public water supply.