This article is from page 4 of the 2008-05-20 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
CLARE County Council claims there is already enough land zoned in the greater Ennis area to cater for new houses over the next six years.
In a downbeat assessment of the number of new homes required un- til 2014, the council has reduced its estimates of projected housing needs which was made last year when the housing market was buoyant.
In a presentation to its special poli- cy committee on economic develop- ment, the council executive stated that only 142 acres will be required
for development over the next six years.
However, there are currently 687 acres that are already zoned for resi- dential development within the Ennis area.
In its initial “high growth scenar- io’’”, the council anticipated that 3,211 units would be built until 2014 and a “low growth scenario” anticipates that 1,979 units will be built.
According to the council’s Ennis housing strategy, the high growth scenario is based on historical in- formation, but due to changing eco- nomic circumstances and major
infrastructural deficits in Ennis, it is anticipated that the low growth model would represent maximum potential.
The council now anticipates that there will be a need for 336 social houses and 235 affordable houses to 2014 and a requirement for 1,013 new private homes.
This compares to the high growth Scenario where 2,077 new homes will be required.
The strategy anticipates that the lo- cal authorities will require 40 acres of land to provide the 570 social and affordable homes during the strategy
period.
However, the the local authori- ties have no land in the greater En- nis area and it is engaged in seeking suitably zoned and serviced land for social and affordable housing.
There are 891 people on the hous- ing list in the greater Ennis area comprising mainly of 543 people who are included for financial rea- sons and 194 on medical or compas- sionate grounds.
The strategy states that it 1s difficult to forecast the numbers of social and affordable homes that will be secured in the current economic climate.