Opposition grows to plan for Moycullen social housing estate

His colleague, Green Party Cllr Alastair McKinstry, also based in Moycullen, told the Connacht Tribune that he hasn’t yet decided how he’ll vote on the Part 8 planning application that will come before elected members to give effect to the plans.

The County Council wants to build 27 two-beds and four three-beds at a site on Mountain Road in the townlands of Coill Bhruacháin and Gort Uí Lochlainn. It’s part of Rebuilding Ireland, the Government’s housing policy.

Residents’ associations, local community groups and clubs are among those opposing the plans, and want the parcel of land kept for recreation and amenity.

They insist they are not opposed to social housing, and that the site is not suitable for any housing. They also argue Moycullen doesn’t have adequate facilities for more housing, and want it kept as a public park.

The closing date for receipt of objections and observations to the local authority is June 25.

Fianna Fáil Cllr Thomas is one of several objectors to the new estate – despite his party colleague, Darragh O’Brien, being Minister for Housing.

“You can’t just look to satisfy Department of Housing figures – X amount of houses to be built, and put them anywhere you want. You have to build in an appropriate site, and you should be building in communities and towns that have plenty of services. We’re seriously lacking in services in Moycullen. The school is bursting at the seams; there is no real bus service; no proper community facilities or community centre. And this is where they want to go loading more houses, it just doesn’t add up,” said Cllr Thomas.

He said that it is “a beautiful mature, natural, broad leafed deciduous woodland” site in the village’s heart.

“It is a unique and valuable addition to any village and lends itself naturally to being preserved as a site for community recreation,” said Cllr Thomas.

He pointed out that a majority of people living locally want the land to be used for community, including recreation and amenity.

This is reference to research led by Dr Patrick Collins of NUIG, which formulated Moycullen 2030, a plan with input from over 800 people living locally.

Cllr Thomas said that ‘almost everyone’ who contributed to that plan opted for a community aspect for that site.

“It would be very disappointing if our local authority chooses to continue down its planned path of destruction to go against a community’s wishes,” he said.

Cllr Thomas added: “Apart from the fact that the woodland will be destroyed, even the design of those houses should not be allowed – 31 crammed in together. But unfortunately our local authority currently only cares about achieving numbers to tick boxes for the Department, and zero concern is shown for our community. I can assure you I will be standing by my community on this issue as I have always done. There are many aspects of this development that are wrong and I believe it should not go ahead.”

Cllr McKinstry said he was still undecided; he acknowledged that he has been getting phone calls from people who are against the development. He said he is checking with Council officials about potential flooding issues.

“The site is a resurgence of a spring, and the woods have absorbed much water before. My vote will likely hang on that,” Cllr McKinstry said.

Cllr McKinstry said he had worked with Cllr Tomás Ó Curraoin to oppose what locals deemed excessive housing development in Bearna.

That proposal ultimately bypassed the Council, and was granted by An Bórd Pleanála (ABP).

He pointed out that in Moycullen, too, the Council refused permission for 49 homes at Kylebroughlan, in part due to flooding, but it was granted on appeal by ABP. The Council subsequently bought the houses.

“The Council and locals had no say in the shape of the eventual development,” he said.

“If we don’t grant permission, I fear we will be overruled and the result will not be good development . . . If we vote for the development, we get to specify conditions such as ensuring correct drainage.”

He said that 211 people in the Moycullen area are on the housing waiting list and this is the first time the Council itself will build social housing in the village.

He said the development is primarily for elderly and disabled, and some affordable housing.

Cllr McKinstry said that there are ‘unfounded fears’ that all trees will be removed – he insisted that the plan is to ‘retain trees behind most of Páirc na gCaor’, an adjacent estate.

“People want facilities in Moycullen – the community centre, basketball court, school. I strongly agree and am working on each of these but it needs to be understood these are separate budgets – the funding comes nationally. Failing to build the houses does not make money available for them.

“This is the only public housing planned to be built in Moycullen in the current plan, before 2028. Not building it means telling people who’ve been waiting up to a decade that there is no plan to build houses for them before 2030. I’m extremely reluctant to do that.

“However, there are hydrology concerns that the sewage treatment plant is already suffering, potentially from storm water overflows, possibly from new developments at Kylebroughlan. I need to be sure that this is not an issue and my vote will hang on that,” he said.

Moycullen-based Senator Seán Kyne of Fine Gael did not respond to requests for comment.