An Taisce urges observant development

ENVIRONMENTAL watchdog group, An Taisce, said yesterday it is going to keep a close eye on planning applications made by or on behalf of religious orders in an attempt to ensure that such development is consistent with the ethos of such groups.

Department of the Environment guidelines protect many such structures which are considered listed or protected buildings.

But more and more protected buildings are coming on the market as their owners or trustees struggle to maintain them.

While nobody wants to see buildings fall into disrepair, not all proposed re-development should be welcomed or is in keeping with the ethos of such orders, said Ian Lumley of An Taisce.

News that Waterford City Council, in particular, plans to ease planning restrictions on protected structures has sounded alarm bells at An Taisce.

It says it will be keeping a close eye on applications for planning in the city and elsewhere, adding that charitable donations funded many of the buildings owned by or under the patronage of religious orders.

“We have concerns about religious orders being socially responsible, particularly because of the circumstances under which some buildings were acquired over the years,” Mr Lumley said.

“Religious institutions have a prime opportunity now to find social uses for such structures. There are plenty of them around the country which are no longer used, for example, boarding schools or buildings used to house large numbers of the order’s own members in the past.

“They are no longer suitable for many orders’ needs and could be put to a social use, for housing for the less well off, for example. The Good Shepherd building in Waterford was acquired by WIT. That is a prime example of what should be done with such buildings.

“Other developments are not so welcome, for example, the development of the Good Shepherd building in Sunday’s Well in Cork. Many of the buildings owned by religious institutions were built through charitable donations and the past should be respected.

“This is not to say that they cannot be developed but it is the responsibility of the orders and the diocese to ensure that they are suitably developed,” he added.