South Wicklow housing at ‘crisis point’ as more than 900 people wait for social homes
The Wicklow PeopleThe housing situation in Arklow has reached what councillors are now openly calling a crisis, with more than 900 people on the social housing list and no new homes yet under construction.
The issue dominated part of this month’s meeting of Wicklow County Council, where Cllr Pat Kennedy pressed senior management for answers on the lack of visible progress on long promised schemes.
Cllr Kennedy said the pressure from residents had become relentless, describing daily calls from people in Arklow who cannot find anywhere to live.
“It’s getting to a crisis point,” he said, adding that councillors may need to request a special meeting dedicated solely to housing in south Wicklow.
Cllr Kennedy questioned why no new homes were being built in Arklow, despite the completion of the €139 million wastewater treatment plant, a project long seen as the key to unlocking large scale development in the town.
“We don’t seem to have an awful lot of houses coming on stream for people,” Cllr Kennedy said, noting that the town’s population and demand levels make the lack of progress increasingly difficult to justify.
In response, chief executive Emer O’Gorman acknowledged that the pace of private sector development in Arklow had slowed significantly.
Ms O’Gorman said the council was also advancing its own housing pipeline, and asked director of services Joe Lane to outline the status of the main schemes.
Mr Lane said three significant projects were in progress, though none had yet reached construction stage. The Tinahask Phase 1 development, which previously received Part 8 approval, has completed its tender process and a letter of acceptance has issued to the successful contractor.
He said this scheme is expected to move on site shortly, marking the first major build in Arklow in several years.
A second scheme at Sheephouse, comprising approximately 50 homes, has undergone detailed engagement with the Department of Housing.
Mr Lane said the council had incorporated departmental feedback and was now preparing the detailed design required for Part 8.
A presentation had already been made to councillors, and the project is expected to progress to formal approval once the design stage is complete.
Tinahask Phase 2, originally conceived as a larger single development, is being re-examined with a view to splitting it into smaller phases.
Mr Lane said this approach would allow the council to include affordable housing and create a mixed tenure site that could be delivered more quickly. The revised plan will be brought back to councillors for consideration once the new structure is finalised.
Despite these schemes, Mr Lane acknowledged that Arklow continues to suffer from a “dearth” of private developers, with only limited activity visible in the market. He said the council expected one or two private schemes to come on stream, but did not provide timelines.
Cllr Kennedy said the gap between demand and supply was widening, and that residents were becoming increasingly anxious as waiting times lengthened.
He said the council needed to apply pressure at every level to ensure Arklow did not fall further behind other towns in the county. The housing list, he said, had become unmanageable, with families waiting years for allocations and little sign of relief.