Mallow locals begin protesting at modular home site

Local councilor John Paul O'Shea said: 'If modular housing is completed on the site in Mallow, there will be plenty of consultation prior to it being erected.2 Picture: Colm Lougheed

A group of locals have begun protesting at a field in Mallow, after a process to build modular homes for Ukrainian refugees got underway.

Diggers moved into a field outside Mallow in recent days, but locals say there has been no consultation with people living in the area.

The Mallow site was identified as suitable by Cork County Council, but a group of locals began protesting at the site.

Local councillor John Paul O'Shea confirmed that a number of sites had been put forward to the Office of Public Works (OPW) as possible locations for modular homes, and a meeting will take place on Friday on the matter. 

Mr O'Shea said there are "test operations" at the Mallow site and members of the public will be consulted before any homes were erected. He told C103FM: 

I would say to the members of the public — if modular housing is completed on the site in Mallow, there will be plenty of consultation prior to it being erected. There's a certain amount of time involved in that process yet.

Local woman Annette Nagle explained the town had had an "inkling" about the works two weeks ago, but they only got official confirmation on Tuesday.

She also disagreed with Cllr O'Shea's view, telling the same show: "We don't believe that public consultation will be taken into account in any way, shape, or form. This meeting is on Friday and it's a private meeting, so we don't believe for a second it'll take our objections into account."

Those objections include that the town already has a "massive housing issue", and that services such as schools and GPs within the town are already stretched as it is.

"For money to then appear for modular houses is obviously unfair on those people who are waiting on housing lists for years and unable to get their own homes," she said.

"That's without adding in however many people are going to be added in these modular homes."

Ms Nagle claimed that at the moment people are waiting for "nine to ten days" for a GP appointment in Mallow town.

She asked the OPW and local councillors directly to "consult us."

Let us be a part of it, but let us feel like we are actually going to be listened to and that we’re not going to be passed off with lip service.