Photograph: John Sheridan
CONCERNS have been raised over the future of a proposed 31-unit apartment development on the grounds of the former convent in Ennistymon, with councillors questioning whether opportunities to provide housing for older people and affordable housing are being overlooked.
The issue was raised at the July meeting of the West Clare Municipal District, where councillors Bill Slattery (FG) and Shane Talty (FF) ought an update from Clare County Council’s Housing Activation Section on the progress of the long-awaited development.
In a written reply, Senior Engineer Adrian Headd said Clare County Council had not received any expressions of interest or applications relating to the development through its social housing turnkey process or from Approved Housing Bodies.
The reply also noted there are currently 138 applicants qualified for social housing support in the Ennistymon, Inagh and Lahinch area, with the majority seeking one or two-bedroom accommodation, and said the council would continue to consider any future proposals in line with housing need and Department of Housing targets.
Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Slattery said the original vision for the development had been welcomed locally because it was expected to provide housing for older people wishing to move from rural areas into Ennistymon.
He said he had spoken to older residents who had expressed an interest in downsizing into apartments closer to services and was concerned that the emphasis now appeared to have shifted entirely towards social housing.
“I had heard of elderly people who would have been interested in moving from rural areas into the apartments closer to the town,” he said.
“There was no emphasis at all on the original plan to provide housing for the elderly, which was welcomed in the area, and for some reason it has shifted to social housing.”
Cllr Slattery said he remained concerned about what type of housing would ultimately be delivered on the site, particularly given its location beside two schools.
He said local people continued to ask what was planned for the 31 apartments and insisted he would continue seeking clarity on the issue.
“I’m not going to go away on this,” he said.
“The people of Ennistymon are concerned.”
Cllr Talty said he welcomed the redevelopment of the convent site, both because it would provide much-needed housing and because it would bring a long-derelict building back into use.
However, he said the discussion should not be limited solely to social housing and argued the development should cater for a broader mix of housing needs.
“We had a great housing conference in Ennis six weeks ago and the big push that day was to get a mix in developments, so that we can cater to more than one market,” he said.
Cllr Talty questioned why there was no reference in the council’s response to affordable or private housing options for the development.
“What about those that want to downsize, all the people who want to come in and retire in the town, smaller families who want to purchase a house?” he asked.
“Why couldn’t more be done for a broader mix of the housing demand market itself?”
He also noted that, with ongoing wastewater capacity constraints in Ennistymon, the convent development may be the only significant housing project delivered in the town for several years.
Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) supported the concerns raised by his colleagues, saying the focus should be on building communities rather than simply delivering houses.
He said developments should be examined for opportunities to provide affordable housing alongside social housing in order to achieve more balanced communities.
He also pointed to the demand from older people in North Clare who wished to move closer to services and said elected members were entitled to have an open discussion about the most appropriate housing mix.
“We are entitled to sit around the table and have a conversation and I think that that is all we are asking here is for a genuine conversation,” he said.
Responding to the debate, Director of Service Carmel Kirby said the concerns expressed by councillors regarding the balance between social, private and affordable housing had been noted by the Housing Department.
She said housing provision was an executive function of Clare County Council rather than a reserved function of elected members, but confirmed that any future proposal for the site would still be subject to the normal planning process, during which councillors and members of the public would have an opportunity to make submissions.
The council’s written reply stated that no application relating to the convent site has yet been received and that any future proposal would be considered in the context of local housing need, Department of Housing targets and national funding guidelines.
