This article is from page 14 of the 2007-09-04 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 14 JPG
ENNIS Town Council may formulate its own housing strategy after refus- ing to adopt a document prepared by Clare County Council.
The draft policy, Housing For Sus- tainable Communities, was presented to members at Monday’s meeting of Ennis Town Council. Using data from the latest census, it sets out projected housing requirements for Ennis from 2007-11. The document also incorpo- rates new legislative and national pol- icles in respect of housing standards
and delivery requirements.
Councillors are angry, though, at the lack of input Ennis Town Council has had 1n the process.
Addressing John Bradley, Senior Executive Planner with Clare Coun- cil, Mayor of Ennis Tommy Brennan said, “I don’t believe anyone from this council has had any involvement in this plan. Do you call this consul- tation? This is not consultation. In- stead we get a document.”
Members backed a proposal to ex- plore the possibility of drafting its own housing strategy.
Town Manager, Tom Coughlan said the prepared housing strategy would form part of the Ennis and Environs Development Plan and that another document could result in three sepa- rate housing policies for Ennis.
The strategy predicted, that in a high growth scenario, Ennis would require 2,086 extra houses by 2011. It also showed that 13 per cent of houses in the Ennis and environs area were vacant in 2006.
The strategy predicted that Ennis could need an extra 290 social houses and 260 affordable houses by 2011.
Countywide figures for local au- thority land requirements to meet so- cial and affordable housing demands revealed a shortfall of 11 hectares.
But Cllr Brennan cast doubt over the figures by saying Ennis lacks the infrastructural requirements to meet new housing developments.
“The figures don’t stack up. I have seen a planning document that says we are almost at full capacity sew- age. How are we going to build these houses, with buckets?”
The town engineer admitted the wastewater scheme in the Ennis and
environs area was approaching ca- pacity. ““We are monitoring the situa- tion. In the intervening period, while we wait for a permanent treatment plant at Clareabbey, there is scope to improve or even expanding existing facilities and install a temporary fa- cility if the need required.”
Fine Gael councillor, Johnny Flynn said, “This council has been put through the hoops by the depart- ment…It is a dangerous situation. En- nis is a recognised hub town, but it has not received quick approval for major infrastructural projects.”