Development of 300 new homes in Wexford will ‘trigger immediate, severe financial liabilities’ on 200-year-old rectory

By Simon Bourke, Wexford People

Plans to rezone land in Bunclody, Co Wexford, and develop over 300 houses in the town will place “an unsustainable, ongoing financial burden” on St Mary’s Rectory.

The plans, which are part of a wider project to meet housing demand in the county, are currently in the public consultation phase and, if approved, would see several parcels of land in Bunclody ‘rezoned’ for residential use.

This would result in approximately 302 homes being built in the town with an estimated population growth of 820 between 2026-2034. Accepting that this population increase would place additional pressures on the road network in Bunclody, Wexford County Council (WCC) has said it will work with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and Carlow County Council on a new N80 bypass if the plans get the green light.

However, Canon Trevor Sargent and Gillian Porter from the Bunclody Union of Parishes have voiced their objection regarding the rezoning of two sections of land which are currently used for agricultural purposes.

The first of these parcels (pictured below, site 11) is categorised by WCC as Tier 2 lands, meaning it is “not currently sufficiently serviced to support additional development” but has “the potential to become fully serviced during the lifetime of the plan”.

With regards to this site, WCC states that any proposed development would “have to be cognisant” of St Mary’s Rectory and avoid “impacting or infringing on the historic value of the site”.

“The development of these lands is dependent on the upgrading of the existing lane way to provide a link road between the N80 and R746 (which may form part of an inner-relief road/by-pass),” the plans state. “Development of this parcel shall provide the provision of footpath and lighting along the proposed road and within the parcel to connect to the existing footpath along the N80.”

The site is currently not serviced by water supply and sewer pipes and has no footpath or street lighting, and the council states that these infrastructural deficiencies would have to be addressed prior to, or in tandem with, the development of this site.

Site 11 is earmarked for residential use.

In response to the plans, Canon Sargent and Ms Porter have submitted a formal objection to the rezoning of these lands and the inclusion of a proposed link road.

Stating that their opposition is based on “critical agricultural, financial, environmental, and public safety grounds”, they say that rental income generated from these lands is “directly used to maintain the Rectory” which is a “significant heritage property and a vital amenity for the wider Bunclody community”.

“Rezoning these parcels to residential would trigger immediate, severe financial liabilities,” they say. “This would directly threaten the future upkeep of the parish assets and community services.”

Arguing that any residential development will place “unsustainable pressure on the existing sewage network” they also expressed fears regarding potential flooding.

“Replacing agricultural drainage with concrete surfaces will drastically increase surface water run off . . . severely threatening the local area with water and sewage mismanagement,” they say.

“Environmental stewardship is central to our core beliefs and the Anglican Five Marks of Mission,” they continue. “We are actively restoring our properties including planting native Irish trees along the borders of this site. This development proposal threatens to undo these efforts, resulting in the direct loss of both mature and newly planted trees.”

Canon Sargent and Ms Porter conclude by saying that the proposed rezoning of lands, along with the insertion of new link road, presents “severe financial risks to a historical community asset, threatens local infrastructure, increases documented flood risks, and compromises public safety”.

“We respectfully urge the Wexford County Council to remove these parcels from the rezoning proposal and maintain their current status to protect the Bunclody community.”

They received support from a Ms Deborah Byrne who has also submitted an objection to the proposals.

“The Rectory is a protected structure of significant historical value to the region and serves as a vital hub for the wider Bunclody community,” she states. “Rental income from this land directly funds the mandatory upkeep of the historic Rectory. The loss of this income, coupled with, imposing the Residential Zoned Land Tax (RZLT) creates an unsustainable financial liability placing a financial strain on parishioners.”

In its plans, WCC states that these lands have been prioritised for development based on a number of factors including the “planned levels of growth in the town, the achievement of compact growth, the application of the sequential approach, the location of the lands, availability of and proximity to amenities, schools, shops or employment, accessibility to transport services etc and the availability of infrastructure”.

Following the conclusion of the public consultation period on August 20 the council will compile a report which will be presented to county councillors for further consideration later in the year.