Housing delays called as 'a fiasco'
Delays in the provision of housing in Tullow was criticised by council members
THE WHOLE process of delivering housing in Tullow was described as a “fiasco” by cllr John Pender when a housing report was given at the last meeting of Tullow Municipal District.
Cllr Pender made the remarks after Tadhg Madden, assistant executive officer for housing, delivered his first housing report, having recently been appointed to the role.
Cllr Pender said that it was a “fiasco” that the council had the land available for development only for a project to be delayed for so long that it falls through. He continued that Tullow Municipal District must have forward thinking and plan now for the years to come, especially since they already had land in the town area, including on the Shillelagh Road and at Parkgate. He suggested that the council could sell sites to individuals for them to build their own houses, adding that although he realised that “housing didn’t happen quickly”, the council still had to plan for years in advance.
Cllr Charlie Murphy raised a development in Ardattin as an example of the delays that cllr Pender was talking about. He said the situation was going on for ten years and there was still no progress.
Earlier in the meeting, cllr William Paton questioned why up to 50 houses in Tullowbeg, Tullow, which were due to be completed by now, would not be ready until September.
Cllr Ben Ward said that the council needed to “ramp up its delivery of housing” because it was falling short of its requirements and that it should contact private developers to build social and affordable housing.
Cllr Jim Deane said that while he welcomed additional grants becoming available for improvements to living conditions and energy efficiency, it was “pointless” because the application process was too difficult for most people to complete. Cllr Murphy pointed out that workshops on applying for grants were coming up in April and that it would be a good idea for the councillors to attend.
Cathaoirleach Brian O’Donoghue told the meeting: “We all want houses to be built overnight, but that can’t happen”. He also agreed with his colleagues that more housing needed to be delivered at a quicker rate.
In reply to the comments, Mr Madden said the council did plan for the future, that the population was growing all the time and that contrary to what cllr Ward had asserted, it was on track to deliver housing as projected. He said that he would look at the situation in Ardattin and report back, while he also told cllr Paton that he would look at why the delivery of the housing in Tullowbeg was delayed.
