Land sale by bishop helps cut Ennis housing list

A land sale by Bishop of Killaloe Dr Willie Walsh to Ennis Town Council has enabled the council to take a major step in addressing the growing numbers on its housing list.

However, it has taken the council five years to lodge the plans after agreeing to purchase the six acres of land for €1.5 million from Dr Walsh in October 2000. Since the sale was agreed, the numbers on the council's housing list have more than doubled from 250 to 540.

The proposal involves the development of 82 housing units, containing 66 houses and 16 apartments on lands that formed part of the bishop's Westbourne estate. Along with local authority homes in the scheme, Respond and the St Vincent de Paul are to also provide accommodation.

Instead of offering the lands on the open market, Dr Walsh and the diocesan trust chose to sell the six acres to the council in a joint effort to address the housing shortfall.

The diocesan trust said at the time "it was happy with the sale on the understanding that the council intends to develop the land for the benefit of the wider community in line with its wider social obligations".

Following a last-minute change by members of Clare County Council to the Traveller Accommodation Plan 2005-2008 earlier this year, there will be fewer houses for Travellers in the Westbourne development.

The draft plan proposed an ad- hoc quota system stating that the council would "generally endeavour" to allocate one out of seven local authority houses to Travellers.

However, at the council meeting to adopt the plan, councillors agreed that instead of one house in seven, the quota would be decreased to one house in 10.

The new development is also expected to house a number of asylum seekers and refugees, as they account for 20 per cent of the housing list.

Ennis councillor Dr Taiwoo Matthew (Independent), has already warned colleagues the council would be going down a dangerous road by including a person's nationality in its criteria in allocating council housing.

Dr Matthew said: "The criteria for housing is one that should apply to everyone on the list. To state . . . whether a person is a refugee or not would not be good."

Councillor Frankie Neylon (Independent) said: "The criteria for allocating housing should be made regardless of a person's skin colour, sex or age. The same criteria should be applied to everyone and the policy must be consistent."

He confirmed discussions had already taken place with residents of an adjoining estate to address any concerns they may have over the plan.

Those seeking to make submissions on the housing development have until September 12th.