This article is from page 31 of the 2007-07-03 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 31 JPG
A CRITICAL need for afford- able housing in Shannon town has prompted Clare County Council to compile a proposal for the construc- tion of a 60-house development.
Currently, 165 people are on the waiting list for affordable housing in S)ar-vepeeyen
With this statistic in mind, Clare County Council has proposed to build 60 houses – comprising 45 three-bed dwellings and 15 two-bed houses – at Cluain Airne. The site in question is 5.29 acres in size, which means there would be 11 houses on approximately one acre of land. It has been zoned residential and a fea-
sibility study has been carried out, outlining its suitability for housing.
A design team has been appointed for the project and residents in Shan- non have been invited to a meeting, to discuss the plans, at the Oakwood Arms Hotel, on Monday, July 9 next.
Architect Colm Yelland, who is on the design team, said he was optimis- tic the development would enhance the existing scheme at Cluain Airne, where there are 178 houses.
‘We have looked at the regeneration of the overall area, carefully looking at the integration of the scheme into existing street patterns,” he said.
He said that the creation of play- ground spaces has been considered,
While the possibility of building three-bed and four-bed units reflect- ed the needs for such housing.
He said that access to the estate would be mainly independent to the access to the existing estate.
Councilor Gerry Flynn said he be- lieved that 60 houses was excessive.
“I feel the quantity of 60 is too much. The number of 40, I’d be open to negotiation. I’ll dig my heels in. There’s already 178 in Cluain Airne and 167 in Tradaree Court. That’s a lot of houses in a particularly tight area,’ he said.
Dick Pyne, of Clare County Coun- cil, who attended a meeting with Shannon Town councillors on the proposed development, last week
said,
“Economically, it has to be justi- fied for the department and the peo- ple who are going to buy them. Eco- nomically we need 60 houses. It’s won’t fly at 40. There is no point in trying it.”
The meeting was told that a bill of €1.3 million for roads and water Services would have to be met, while the project was being constructed.
Cllr Greg Duff (Labour) said it was important to tackle the affordable housing waiting lists, but the people living in Cluain Airne shouldn’t be forced to suffer as a result.
Cllr Geraldine Lambert (FF) said the main problem with the proposal was access.