‘We’re going to fight this the whole way’

Residents oppose new houses in Nenagh estate

Residents of a Nenagh housing estate are to lodge an appeal with An Bord Pleanála over plans to add more houses to their estate.

Tipperary Co Council last week granted conditional planning permission to Singland Homes Ltd for 18 houses at Springfort Meadows. These are to be in addition to a previously permitted development of 19 houses, which the council is reportedly seeking to acquire for use as social housing units.

The council received a total of 17 submissions from local residents objecting to the new houses on a wide range of grounds. Among these were concerns over housing density and loss of green space, visual impact, traffic and pedestrian safety, and disproportionate social housing in the private estate.

Daniel Corbett was one of the Springfort Meadows residents to lodge an objection. He said the residents found out “through a leak out of the council” about a plan to purchase 19 houses from the private developer.

While the Part V agreement in principle document makes reference to four units being taken for social housing, Mr Corbett said he and other residents believe all of the newly-permitted 18 houses will be taken for social accommodation.

“It looks like the council are going to pull the same move,” he said of the new houses. “They're the exact same design as the ones the council bought for social up the road.”

The matter was raised at two local authority meetings by Nenagh councillor Séamie Morris. Mr Corbett said a meeting was to have been arranged between local residents and representatives of the council's Housing section, though this has not yet happened. He said there has been a lack of consultation from the council, with the residents left waiting to be told what the plans are for the new houses.

‘CONFLICT OF INTEREST’

But in any event, Mr Corbett said the residents would be referring the matter to An Bord Pleanála. He described an attempt by a local authority to add nearly 40 social houses to a private estate without public consultation as “a huge abuse of the planning process”.

“The fact that the same government body is ruling over planning and buying the houses it has made planning decisions on is a total conflict of interest and a gross abuse of powers and public capital,” Mr Corbett said, adding “the council permitting this application mean that the council ignores its own development plans and policies.” In his formal objection to the council, Mr Corbett took issue with the plan to build 18 houses on a green space in the estate, which is used by children to play on. The new units would bring the total number of houses in Springfort Meadows to 139. Mr Corbett said residents have learned that the council owns eight existing houses in the estate, putting the proportion of social housing in Springfort Meadows well above even the 20% requirement of the 2022-2028 Tipperary County Development Plan.

“I cannot understand how the council believes it is okay to shoehorn a large number of social houses, well above the government requirements, into a settled private estate when they will not even use their own undeveloped land to provide social housing,” he wrote in submission.

Pointing out that the new houses would increase the size of the estate by over a third, Mr Corbett said he and other residents of Springfort Meadows are concerned about a significant increase in traffic into the estate, with associated parking and safety issues. He was of the view that the proposed development would “damage the character” of the existing housing layout, while the proposed density of housing would impact negatively on the general amenity.

“We are entitled to quiet enjoyment of our property, which we have occupied for 15 years, and this proposed development will have a negative impact on our quality of life and enjoyment of the estate and property,” Mr Corbett told the council.

CORMACK DRIVE

Previous plans to add houses to Springfort Meadows have met with local opposition and been appealed to An Bord Pleanála. It is understood that local residents have sought legal opinion ahead of a new appeal.

“We're going to fight this the whole way,” Mr Corbett said. He agreed that the situation is very similar to what happened in Cormack Drive recently, where the council built 12 houses despite opposition from local residents, who accepted that more housing was needed in Nenagh but believed there were more suitable sites for the authority to build it on.

“They've done it in Cormack Drive and they've done it here, so what's to say they aren't going to do it somewhere else?” Mr Corbett asked. “We all understand the housing situation and we as residents have to acknowledge that. But you have to ask: Is this the answer?”