Thousands of Co Leitrim houses might be empty, but developers are ploughing ahead with residential schemes, fuelling fears that the county's villages are overdeveloped, writes Rosita Boland
According to the latest census statistics, released at the end of March, Leitrim has the highest vacancy rate of housing units in the State, at 29.3 per cent. That's almost a third of the county's entire housing stock, the majority of it built since the rural-renewal tax-incentive scheme was introduced in 1999, with its cut-off date extended from 2002 to 2004. Counties Donegal and Kerry had the next emptiest housing stock, at 27 per cent and 24.8 per cent, respectively.
While specific areas in Cavan, Roscommon and Sligo qualified for rural renewal, the whole of Leitrim and Longford were eligible for the scheme. To avail of the full tax relief, planning applications had to have been lodged with the local council by December 31st, 2004. There was a big take-up: in 2004, Leitrim County Council had 2,147 planning applications, 770 of which were lodged in December alone.
Leitrim's newest housing stock, created as a direct result of the tax-incentive scheme, couldn't be described as low-key. Built in clusters, usually at scenic points along the Shannon, the large developments of apartment blocks and town houses are urban-looking in their rural settings, almost always a uniform primrose yellow, and extremely noticeable. Within 30km of Carrick-on-Shannon alone, there are major new developments in Rooskey, Dromod, Keshcarrigan, Lough Rynn and Leitrim village.
The total population of Leitrim is 28,950, but what's clear from the census is that a large percentage of the county's home-owners do not reside there permanently. In the census breakdown of figures, there are four categories that fall under unoccupied permanent housing units: residents temporarily absent; vacant house; vacant flat; and holiday home. The Leitrim figures for unoccupied vacant houses is 2,942; vacant flats, 339; and vacant holiday homes, 1,192. In a note on methodology, the census states that these categories are "based on the enumerator's assessment in the field which would have involved checking with neighbours where appropriate". In other words, the figure could be higher.
Maureen and Bob Kramer, originally from Rhode Island, came to live in Ireland in 2003. For the last two years, they have been living on a barge, moored at Carrick, and as they regularly take the boat up and down the Shannon, they've had plenty of opportunities to observe the new waterside developments.
"Aesthetically, I hate them," Maureen admits frankly. "I wish they weren't plopped down in the middle of nowhere, with no one in them. I don't know why there are such strict restrictions on building one-off housing, but it's so easy to get planning permission for these huge developments. What I wonder is, what's going to happen in the future? If they don't get people into them, they're asking for trouble. Empty buildings are an invitation for vandalism."
"If they were occupied all the time, it would show there was an obvious need for housing," Bob says. "But they're not, and all it shows is tax-break opportunities. I don't think they'll ever be occupied permanently, they'll always be primarily holiday homes."
Five kilometres out of Carrick is Leitrim village, bisected by a bridge which is now dominated by two large developments on either side. Each development has marinas, and one has a hotel, which is currently closed and for let. It's Easter week, but the car-parks in each development are almost empty, and few of the apartments - 68 in Leitrim Marina and 50 in the Waterfront - show any sign of occupancy. However, there are builders aplenty in evidence on both sites, which are still in the process of being developed.
Phyllis Nolan was born and brought up in Leitrim village and is the third generation of her family to live there. She came home to settle after working in Birmingham for 40 years. "I don't agree with all these holiday houses," she says, on her way to the village's one grocery shop. "The village has changed, but in a bad way. It has altered the look of the village, and it is no longer a true community. At one time, I used to know everyone in the village, but that's not the case now. They overbuilt here. And who decided, anyway, about where they were going to build? We who live here all the time were never consulted.
"I don't think these holiday places are of any value to the community, because people who come the odd weekend or in the summer don't get involved in the social life of the village. In 10 years' time, I think the place will be a pure disaster. These places will always be empty most of the year. Surely anyone who wants to live in the country permanently would not want to live in an apartment block?"
MARIAN DONNELLAN, AT the post office, has a different view. "Most of the old stock in the village are dead and gone, and it's good to have young people here again, even if they do come and go all the time." She has no idea how many of the units are owned and rented by investors, nor even if the same people come and go, but she has noticed that the majority of visitors coming into her post office are Dubliners.
Across the road, at the Lock 17 pub, owner David Carthy has been running the pub for 27 years. "I saw all my friends going to London and New York. I've seen Leitrim in hard times when everyone was leaving. It's true that many of these holiday places are empty most of the time, but some are occupied sometimes so, being in business, I'd be foolish to ignore that fact. Obviously, I'd prefer if they were occupied all year round, but I can't see that ever happening. Apartments here will only ever be used for holiday use. I don't think the village has been destroyed yet, but I wouldn't like to see the building go much further."
One of the few occupants in the Leitrim Marina development is Lisa Charles, from Blessington, Co Wicklow, and her four girls. The Charleses bought their two-bedroom apartment 16 months ago. They originally intended to rent it out, but instead they use it on a regular basis. Lisa's husband, Nigel, had family in the area, which was a contributing factor in the purchase.
"The hotel was the selling point for us. We thought boats cruising would stop and people would come in for a drink, creating a kind of holiday atmosphere all the time. There are a few of us who have apartments who come often, but the majority of owners, no, I wouldn't have a clue who they were," Lisa admits.
Dromod village, which is on the Shannon and the Dublin-Sligo railway line, is awash with developments, ranging from holiday houses and apartments overlooking the marina, to large new estates of four- and five-bedroom houses at the as-yet-unfinished Dromod golf and country club. There are at least 100 large houses in this partly sold development, and at Boffin Avenue, where there are five-bedroomed detached houses, developers are advertising for buyers in phase two of this "tax-designated area".
In the village Credit Union, local customer Mary Shanley rolls her eyes when asked about the influx of developments. "I was out canvassing a while ago and in the whole lot of these new places, there were only three houses with occupants. And when people come at holiday weekends, you don't know who they are. Every small village in Leitrim is being ruined. They overdid the construction here. People don't know their neighbours any more, and that's not the village way."
Shanley thinks that the large houses in the developments close to the railway line are being aimed at commuters to Dublin or Sligo. "They're upgrading the line, and the developers are hoping that once the new trains get running, commuters will buy them. Those ones are too big for holiday houses - they're five bedroomed, a lot of them."
Maria Mahoney, from Bettystown, Co Louth, is sitting out in front of her rented holiday apartment overlooking the marina with her children Isaac and Abbie. She and her husband have rented the place for a month, while waiting to move as owner-occupiers into their new house in Termonbarry, Co Roscommon.
"Even at Easter, the houses either side of us were unoccupied, and lots of the units seemed to be empty," she says. "You can tell by there being no cars outside them." The development that surrounds the Mahoneys numbers at least 50 units.
"There hasn't been any other children to play with here over Easter," Abbie adds.
Rather than buying in Termonbarry, would the Mahoneys have considered buying in Dromod? "I'd never consider buying somewhere in Dromod for a full-time home," she says firmly. "It's too transient. People are always coming and going. You'd never properly get to know anyone. These developments will always be holiday houses."
Liam Farrell, who has the Douglas Newman Good franchise in Carrick, has been selling property in Leitrim for 22 years. From Leitrim village himself, Farrell sees the county-wide developments as positive, both for bringing more people into rural areas, and creating an economic stir.
"I've lived through the dark days in Leitrim, and I know for a fact that the housing stock in Leitrim village hadn't changed in 80 years." By the next census, Farrell thinks that figures for vacant housing units will have dropped, since by then the building boom will be over.
What about the argument that some of these developments are spoiling the look of rural Leitrim? "That's very arrogant to say, and it's nearly always said by outsiders. It's like people in urban areas who come for weekends to a country village and complain about dung on the bridge."
