€30m new homes investment in Tuam
Plans have been drawn up for the construction of nearly 130 dwellings in Tuam as part of a massive €30 million investment in the town.
A decision on planning from An Bord Pleanala is due within the next six weeks and if permission is granted for the new housing scheme, it is expected that construction will commence well before the end of the year.
The development is being undertaken by JJ Rhatigan and Company and will be located just off the Ballygaddy Road – and just over a half mile from the town centre in Tuam.
Interestingly, the same developers built the last major housing scheme that was provided in Tuam more than ten years when they completed the 280 house Palace Fields Estate.
Padraic Rhatigan, Managing Director of JJ Rhatigan’s, told the Connacht Tribune that the fourteen and a half acre site just off Ballygaddy Road in Tuam was acquired a number of years ago and that it was now ready for development given the demand for new houses.
“Obviously property in Dublin in flying at the moment and things are definitely picking up in Galway city but the resurgence is much slower in the rural towns but there is no doubt that Tuam is ready for a development such as this.
“We are planning a high quality scheme – I think Palace Fields has been a wonderful success story – and it is our plan to begin the first phase of this new development later in the year once planning permission is granted, of course”, Padraic Rhatigan added.
The proposed development includes the provision of twelve detached houses along with 78 semi-detached dwellings. The remainder involves the construction of two and a half storey detached and semi-detached units along with 30 terraced homes.
There is a noticeable shortage of residential accommodation in Tuam at the moment and this has been highlighted by the fact that the town’s biggest employers Valeo Visions Systems are finding it difficult to source accommodation for its employees.
At the moment, rental property is being ‘snapped up’ and consequently rent prices in Tuam are close to those being charged in Galway City. Local auctioneers say that there is a big demand for new properties to come on the market.
An Bord Pleanala is set to decide in early April on the Rhatigan planning application. Under new legislation, developers who plan to build 100 houses or more can apply directly to the higher planning authority, rather than going through the local authority.
The planning application provides for the construction of 128 homes and associated landscaping and site works at Ballygaddy Road, Tuam. The development will also include over 250 parking spaces.
An Bord Pleanala was accepting submissions or observations on the plans up until February 5 last. The development, if approved, will also include a number of social housing units. They will be interspersed within the estate.
Already there has been considerable interest in the new development and particularly from those who want to get on the property ladder. The new housing project is also expected to have a huge economic spin-off for the local economy.
Recently members of Tuam Municipal Council welcomed the planning application by saying that it was a much-needed development in the town. They also spoke of the huge dearth of housing stock in Tuam.