At Monday’s City Council meeting two social housing projects were on the agenda to be voted on their final stage by the council. Both projects, totaling 152 houses were amended regarding the linkage road in one and pedestrian and cycle way in another. The effect of the amendments, according to advice from the executive, is both projects are now delayed, much to the frustratiion of SF Cllr Mark Lohan.
Cllr Lohan had proposed that both projects be passed as presented by the executive but his proposal was blocked by the amendments. Chief Executive Brendan McGrath pointed out that the delay would mean ground would not be broken on these Greenfield sites in January 2019 and the funding package for one of the Cllr Lohan stated “it is very disappointing that we finally have significant social housing projects before us and it is met with amendments of delay”.
“The amendments, which seek to block movement between social housing estates and private estates are in direct contradiction to the City Development Plan, which was passed by the council in 2016”.
“In fact one of the amendments seeks to prevent access between the social housing estate and an empty field, which may or may not have a future private estate,” added Cllr Lohan.
“We need to deal with reality and house those we are responsible to house, to delay it because of an unknown future estate in an empty field does not make sense to me.”
“We have just been told we have 4,150 families on our housing waiting list, a desperate need to build after almost 10 years of not building and tonight we vote to delay these 152 homes, I’m baffled at the reasoning behind this move.”
Mr McGrath went on to point out that the content of some of the objections by adjacent residents to the building of the social homes was surprising and inappropriate.
Cllr. Lohan said these projects have been out on public display, objections have been made and dealt with in the correct manner.
“The houses meet all our criteria in the City Development Plan and it is wrong that they are delayed. We have families we are responsible to house, that should be our priority,” he concluded.
