Jackie Cahill calls on council to buy Riverston Estate in Nenagh for housing.

Call to purchase Nenagh estate for housing

Tipperary County Council has been called on in the Dáil to purchase a historic Nenagh site to increase its landbank for the development of social and affordable housing.

Nenagh was described as a “thriving town” and a “satellite town” for Limerick that is desperately in need of affordable housing by Fianna Fáil TD Jackie Cahill. He called on Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien to put pressure on the council to purchase lands on the outskirts of the town. Deputy Cahill made these comments during a debate on the Affordable Housing Bill, where he highlighted one of the greatest impediments to house building in Tipperary - the lack of a publicly-owned landbank for development, he said.

Deputy Cahill said: “Demand is far outstripping supply in every part of my county, and while I very much welcome the 103 social housing units you [Minister O’Brien] have signed off on for Tipperary - between Roscrea, Cahir and Carrick-on-Suir - in the last two months alone, we need much more.

“Daft.ie’s most recent report shows that house prices in Tipperary have risen by 19% in the last year. This is completely and utterly unsustainable.”

The Fianna Fáil TD then went on to mention the need for Tipperary County Council to acquire landbanks for housing development, with the Minister responding positively to Deputy Cahill’s comments.

NENAGH ESTATE

Riverston Estate in Nenagh, which has recently been advertised for sale on the Dublin Road out of Nenagh, was highlighted by Deputy Cahill saying: “I wrote to senior county management on this issue recently and stated my belief in no uncertain terms that this opportunity cannot be passed up on.”

Deputy Cahill stated that this 50-acre site is in a prime location for the development of social and affordable housing for families. According to the Government TD, it also possesses significant potential for the expansion of Nenagh Town Park and other public amenities, tourist attractions and nature walks on the town’s doorstep.

“I believe that the council must give serious consideration to the purchase of these lands, on both sides of the R445. It is very rare that such an opportunity unveils itself on the outskirts of a major rural town like Nenagh, and I firmly believe that such an opportunity should not be missed.

“The Dublin side of Nenagh has seen very little housing development over the years, in comparison with the Borrisokane and Limerick sides of the town. This is a clear opportunity for the council to purchase prime zoned lands for the development of social and affordable housing, as well as creating new public spaces, tourist attractions and amenities on the town’s doorstep.”

In response to Deputy Cahill, Minister Darragh O’Brien said: “Affordability is an issue across the country. It’s not just an urban issue, it’s acute across the country and we want to address it across the country.

“In the last month, Deputy Cahill, I instructed all of our local authorities to get out and acquire landbanks because we need to build more social and more affordable homes and we need our councils to the forefront of that. We have asked them to acquire land, not just for the provision of social but for the provision of affordable.”

DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL

Riverston House is being advertised by Sherry Fitzgerald for online auction on Thursday, July 29. It has an asking price of €1,380,000.

Leets records Riverstown, Nenagh, as the home of Wills Crofts. In 1806 John Bennett of Cork city married the only daughter of Wills Crofts of Riverston, County Tipperary.

In 1837 John Bennett was the proprietor of Riverston. At the time of Griffith’s Valuation, John Bennett held the property from the representatives of Peter Holmes and the house was valued at £55, and the nearby mill at £54. It was the home of a member of the Poe family in the 1870s.

The Hodgins family have owned the the property since the 1930s. The house was built around 1775 and is approx 820 sq m (8,826 sq ft) in size. The house is in need of full restoration and is a three-story residence with good accommodation.

According to the selling agent, Riverston House is set on approx 17.8 hectares (44 acres) of good pasture land that is suitable for excellent grazing. There are approx 3.4 hectares (8.5 acres) of lands to the west of the residence that are zoned ‘New Residential Low Density P1’ in the Nenagh Town & Environs Development Plan 2013-2019 zoning map (Feb 2013) with a further approx. 2.5 hectares (6.4 acres) of lands located to the northwest of the residence are zoned ‘New Residential P2’.