Kanturk social housing build mothballed despite waiting list of 150 people

Plans to build 16 social houses in a Co Cork town have been mothballed, despite 150 people being on the waiting list there.

The density and design of the houses, and the threat of a judicial review, were raised when a row developed in County Hall over the proposed project at Bluepool, Kanturk.

Representatives from Upper Bluepool Residents’ Association sat in the public gallery, listening to a sometimes heated debate on the project.

They maintained that the housing density was out of kilter with the area and said they would seek a judicial review, if the council proceeded with the project.

Independent councillor Tim Collins said he did not want the project to fall apart, because a large number of people were on the waiting list in the area, and instead proposed the council drop the number of houses from 16 to 12 as a compromise.

If the council did this, it would have to seek approval from the Department of Local Government.

Fine Gael councillor John Paul O’Shea said that if the council was altering the plan in any significant way, it would have to start the planning process again, from scratch.

“I want housing in Kanturk, but it has to be with the support of the community,” he said.

Fianna Fáil councillor Gearoid Murphy said there was a pressing need for social houses in the town.

However, he added that it was “with a heavy heart” that he could not lend his support to the 16-house plan.

“The density is too much and it is on an elevated position, compared to the other side of the street,” said Mr Murphy. “It’s important we build houses, but we have to do it right.”

Sinn Féin councillor Melissa Mullane said she was “very disappointed” at any attempt to downsize the plan.

“I want to go ahead with the 16 houses,” she said. “The potential of taking four houses off this is the potential not to provide housing for 24 people. We’re taking a huge gamble, in going back to the Department again, now, looking for 12. We need to take a stand for the people in Kanturk who need homes.”

Fianna Fáil councillor Bernard Moynihan said: “We need to get back into the consultation process and bring the community with us on this.”

Fine Gael councillor Gerard Murphy said he thought the density was too high, on what is a narrow laneway.

“Everybody wants social houses built, but we want them built in an appropriate way,” he said.

“We wouldn’t give planning permission for such a project to a private developer. The standard for social housing should be as high as the standard for private housing.

A vote was taken to proceed with only 12 homes, so the project will be mothballed while the planning process is revised.