Portlaoise sites newly zoned for more housing to put pressure on for roads and schools
Thousands more houses will be built in Portlaoise, putting pressure for the state to fund new roads and schools.
A patchwork of newly zoned residential lands has been created in Portlaoise, to provide thousands more homes in the next decade as the town continues to grow towards city size.
The rezonings by Laois County Council will now add pressure on the state to approve funding for the Portlaoise Northern Relief Road (PNOR) and two other roads in the town centre, as well as new schools and amenities.
The newly amended Laois County Development Plan 2021-27 has rezoned 16 Portlaoise sites with two more sites rezoned for new roads, carried out as part of a nationwide policy by the Government.
The council CEO Michael Rainey said “we’ve done our bit” after councillors approved 88 Laois rezonings for up to 8,000 houses.
“It now behoves the state to back our ambition in terms of housing, in structural investments. It is more than the Portlaoise northern orbital route, more than the Mountmellick bypass, it's also the social infrastructure, it’s the recreation, the education, the medical.” Mr Rainey said.
The Department of Education had made a submission to the draft plan, noting that it “could impact on school provision”, asking for ongoing engagement.
The council had replied that it will continue to engage with the department.
Cllr Tommy Mulligan, a primary teacher, asked the council if it had made adequate provisions for education.
“We had conversations with the Department of Education regarding existing complexes and further lands need to be identified for both primary and post primary,” she said.
Cllr Paddy Buggy added that he had tabled a recent motion to the Portlaoise Municipal District meeting, asking for two new primary schools from the department, and a reply is awaited.
Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley said “we can’t just keep building house after house after house and have no amenities.Sports facilities, schools, roads, the whole lot”.
Most of the Portlaoise lands are on the outskirts of the rapidly growing town.
They are shown on the map as yellow and white striped areas with red stars in their centre, which indicate the policy for “neighbourhood centres” with facilities like shops, creches, offices and GPs.
Three big sites lie close to the Fairgreen housing development on the Mountmellick road. One is next to the service station, next to an imaginary route for the northern relief road which is still awaiting funding by the TII. The other two are lands off the link road, either side of the road to Ballyfin.
Two greenfield sites have been rezoned further out the Mountrath road, past existing housing estates. The owner of one had asked for more of their land to be zoned, and the council said if the first phase is developed, the extra area could be considered in the future.
A large field between Fr Browne Avenue and Marian Place, has been rezoned from enterprise and employment to Residential 2.
A smaller site on the eastern side of the Abbeyleix road just after the end of a row of existing houses, is also rezoned.
Two large sites have been rezoned behind and to the east of the Holy family school campus. One is rezoned from Business to Residential 2, the next which is next to Summerhill Lane and the R425 in Rathleague, is changed from Strategic Reserve to Residential 2 and Open Space.
Two new roads objectives have been added, for new roads needed to serve the town. One is the planned road to link the Dublin and Stradbally roads over HSE lands, the second is to link the Dublin road with the Borris Road.
Another site is zoned off the Dublin road, between Dun Masc and Heathfields estates and Higgs Lane, a rezoning despite multiple objections by residents who don’t want the access road through their estate.
More land has also been zoned residential beside Rathevan estate, next to another zoned site. It will be beside the future PNOR road.
A handful of other small sites were rezoned closer to the town centre.
Other lands offered by landowners in Portlaoise were declined. Land in Meelick was rejected because part of it is prone to flood risk, and has no services connected to it.
Land east of Esker Hills was refused, over unresolved access issues.