Major Laois housing developments to bypass public consultation

Two major Portlaoise housing developments are to bypass public consultation and councillors' approval, to get them built faster, among 14 social housing projects around Laois.

Tyrrell's Land and the former County Hotel are being fasttracked as part of a nationwide Government scheme to speed up supply of social housing.

However Laois councillors are unhappy that their powers and public opinion will be bypassed.

Between them the two projects alone could supply 97 social houses and apartments, while construction must start before the end of 2024.

The Tyrrells Land project in Portlaoise, a 26 acre site bought by Laois County Council for €1.4 million in 2019 is off the Stradbally Road. Only a small section of the land is zoned for housing as most is designated as parkland for leisure and nature use.

The council first revealed plans to build 87 high density homes, in blocks up to five storeys tall, as well as some terraced town houses town houses.  The plans (below) went on public display in 2021, but councillors opposed all four and five storey blocks and urged a redesign.

Some of the homes are planned to be under the 'cost rental' scheme but two years on, Tyrrell's is still at initial design stage with no finance secured yet.

The County Hotel, a prominent derelict building on Portlaoise Main Street is earmarked to get 10 small apartments built by the Clúid housing agency. However it has been held up because the facade has a protection order and with no rear access, works would require closing Main Street for an unfeasibly long time.  

The other projects exempt in Laois include 12 houses in Newtown, 15 in Moanbaun Mountrath, 15 in Derry Road, Durrow, developments in Beladd, Portlaoise, Main Street, Ballinakill, Rushall Mountrath, 2 in Lake Glen Portlaoise, 2 in French Church Street Portarlington and one each in Ballyadams, Emmet Terrace Mountmellick and 1 New Road Portlaoise.

The exemption was announced in March to be effective immediately. It is for lands that are zoned residential, that do not contravene the county development plan, that are serviced or can be, and that do not have to undergo environmental studies.

Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald expressed her annoyance at the exclusion of local power.

"I find it incredible. Councillors have no say. Maybe councillors are the whole fault of the housing crisis reading this. If all this work is done by December 2024 they must be going to wave a magic wand. Maybe the councillors are only a nuisance. Tyrrell's land had consultants that weren't from Ireland, none of us agreed with the design, it is one of the most precious plots of land and none of us will have a say," she said.

Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley also takes issue.

"Now you won't be able to make a submission, and the public won't. Surely people will start asking what is our role. They say this will fasttrack but a Part 8 only takes eight weeks, we're not holding this up. It the public want to put in a submission to Tyrrells, County Hotel, the lot, they'll have to go for a judicial review. This is undemocratic," she said. 

Cllr Willie Aird said the exemption is "to do with Dublin where there are huge objections" to social housing projects.

"We have never disagreed with a Part 8, only asked questions. I never saw as many housing projects coming in and we're facilitating them. Four years ago there was nothing taking place," he said.

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The Director of Services for Housing is Angela McEvoy.

"Part 8's won't go through the council chamber but there will be a public notice in newspaper and a site notice and a notice to councillors. There won't be a consultation process. It is only for housing, social and affordable and cost rental schemes, and building would have to commence by December 2024," she explained.