Cloughjordan focus: Call for urgent upgrade of wastewater treatment capacity
The Minister of State with Responsibility for Planning and Local Government, Peter Burke, visited Cloughjordan on Thursday, September 2. A meeting with the minister, chaired by Cllr Ger Darcy, and attended by members of Cloughjordan community, addressed the question of how housing in Cloughjordan is being blocked by the lack of adequate wastewater treatment in the village.
The urgent need for the system’s capacity to be increased was stressed by Denis Holland, Senior Engineer, Water Services, Tipperary County Council, especially as the village’s population grew by 55% between 2006 and 2016. Donald Austin of the Cloughjordan Community Development Committee (CCDC) gave an impassioned speech calling for help from the minister to find a way out of the impasse. Kristina Lomas of Cloughjordan Ecovillage said the ecovillage had 50 serviced sites which could not be sold, despite demand, due to the wastewater-capacity issue and the attendant embargo on planning permissions in the village.
The meeting was also attended by Tipperary Senator Garrett Ahearn; Cllr Marie Murphy, Cathaoirleach of Tipperary County Council; Cllr. Michael O’Meara, Cathaoirleach of Nenagh Municipal District; Rosemary Joyce, Senior Executive Officer, Nenagh Municipal District; Róisín O’Grady, Heritage Officer, Tipperary County Council; and local community members Gilbert Williams, Helen Costello, Peter Baker and Mick Canney.
Donald Austin, a longstanding member of the CCDC, noted its success in building a community crèche, the Thomas MacDonagh Museum and Library, woodland trails, a town park, and the Scohaboy Bog restoration project.
“Cloughjordan has always been a diverse town over the centuries and in the early 2000s, it became even more so, with the addition of the ecovillage – bringing ideas, art, creativity, culture, music, and theatre, including a community organic farm, an eco-hostel, and an amphitheatre,” he said.
“But minister, all the projects I mentioned are in the past: we are now in the present and thinking about the future. In a time when I read and listen to so much talk about the lack of supply of housing, we have 50 serviced sites in the ecovillage, with people waiting to buy them, but they can’t be built on because of the lack of capacity in the sewerage plant. Furthermore, the Development Committee is planning to turn the old derelict mill into an arts and education centre. There are also plans to turn the old coach house into an information and educational centre for the ecovillage. Cloughjordan House, one of the most historical houses in the village, has developed a very successful business as a country house and wedding venue, and has become a significant employer in the area. It will bring over 15,000 people into the village next year, and has plans to develop and expand its business, but this is contingent on an upgrade to the wastewater treatment plant.
“The government’s Rural Development Policy 2021-2025 aims to support the regeneration, re-population, and development of rural towns and villages to contribute to local and national economic recovery. It aims to enable people to live and work in a high-quality environment. Well, in my opinion, we have a high-quality environment already here in Cloughjordan, built on the back of hard work by all my colleagues here in this room. We have everything we need here, and the recent addition of fibre-optic broadband makes Cloughjordan a very attractive place to live. But we can’t accommodate people who want to live here because of something that is out or our control.
“We have a great village here, minister, a great community spirit, great people full of ideas and plans and dreams and schemes, but we are stuck at an impasse, and we need help. We have reached a critical stage in the development of the village, so I am going to challenge you, if I may, in your position of power and influence, to help us find a pathway out of our problem, to ensure the future viability of our beloved village.”
Kristina Lomas, of Cloughjordan Ecovillage added: “There is a persistent strong demand for sites and housing here and we welcome that. Minister, there are 50 fully serviced sites located within the existing ecovillage estate which cannot be sold until the local wastewater treatment issue is resolved. They offer the possibility of self-build, contractor build, housing association developments and opportunities for innovative low-cost co-housing and co-operative models. The only thing preventing the delivery of housing in the town is insufficient capacity of the municipal wastewater treatment plant.
“The Cloughjordan community is united in its recognition of this one major issue holding back its growth. The economic and social vibrancy we experience here today is proof that Cloughjordan will help achieve key national housing, rural development, and environmental goals if given the opportunity.”