Housing at canal gets go ahead

Thirty-two one- and two-bedroom social housing units are to be built at Friars Mill Road and Canal Avenue, Mullingar, despite objections from Cllr Louise Heavin, who is architect.

At the October meeting of Westmeath County Council, she said that precast concrete was being used on some of the façades, that living rooms were too narrow and that there was not enough natural light in some of the units. She was also worried about water pollution, Japanese knotweed and the effect on lakes.

Many of her fellow councillors felt that the desperate need for such units outweighed any “aesthetic” quibbles, and approved the plan. The plan is to demolish two semi-detached, storey-and-a-half houses and build 32 residential units adjacent to the Royal Canal at Friars Mill Road and Canal Avenue.

This development will provide social housing to meet the needs of the town and will contribute positively to the character of the area, council chief executive Pat Gallagher told the meeting.

Cllr Heavin said that from an architectural point of view, she was impressed with the proposal – however, she was concerned at the proposed use of precast concrete on one of the faces of the building and asked that it be reconsidered.

She was also concerned at the possible low lighting levels in some of the units because they are behind a deck which would be covered or terraced and the fact that the living rooms in some of the units did not meet the minimum width standards.

Cllr Heavin was worried about the landscaping and said that there were a lot of gaping walls that might affect the quality of the open space along the canal. She was also concerned about potential water pollution and that there was Japanese knotweed on the site.

Cllr Michael Dollard argued that the area is crying out for development and this would be the first social housing scheme on the east of the town in 13 or 14 years. It is close to the proposed regeneration development at McCurtain Street and it will be welcomed by the many single people and couples who need houses, he said.

“It would be very difficult to tell people who are in poor housing conditions that this is being held up for aesthetic or environmental reasons, Cllr Dollard said.

He proposed that the development go ahead.

Cllr Dollard had two questions: what are the plans for 1 Canal Avenue, which is one of the council’s vacant properties; and when will a bridge be built over the Brosna to give access to the development?

Cllr Ken Glynn seconded the proposal that the development go ahead, saying that 13 one-bed and 19 two-bed apartments would fill a huge need. He pointed out that local people have had their say on the development and declared that there was no reason it should not go ahead.

“I know people that will be delighted at the news that this is going ahead,” he added.

The meeting was told that 1 Canal Avenue is in council ownership and is being brought into use, and that the development includes the provision of a bridge over the Brosna for access to the proposed development. The scheme is now going to consultation stage to finalise the design.

Cllr Hazel Smyth supported Cllr Heavin, saying, we all know there is a housing crisis and we can’t ignore the lack of housing in Westmeath and particularly in Mullingar, but that is no reason why we should not do the right thing from the outset. We’ve all had complaints about water quality and concerns about Lough Ennell and ongoing issues there, she said.

She stressed that Japanese knotweed can be damaging to buildings. We have to take measures now to avoid issues down the road, she said. She strongly urged all the councillors to support Cllr Heavin, and she seconded her proposal.

District engineer for Mullingar, Paul McCool, said that precast concrete was being used to give a contemporary feel to the south face finish of the development, but if there was a need to change any of the materials, that could be conditioned in.

He said that the development will be accessed from Friars Mill Road, Canal Avenue and the canal towpath. All the apartments will have dual aspect and the lighting, he said, will be more than adequate in all of them.

In relation to the “gaps”, Mr McCool said they had to tier the development to get light into the lower apartments. They propose to plant the “gapings” with a biodiverse planting that would look well.

Regarding the width of the living rooms, Mr McCool said the units are designed to comply with government guidelines, but if some are less in width than is required, the design can be adjusted.

Mr Gallagher assured Cllr Smyth that the council has been doing “right” from the start and will continue to do so and to comply with all regulations, national and European, including those under the Habitats Directive and the Wildlife Act.

In a detailed report, Mr Gallagher said that the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media had recommended that an Appropriate Assessment be carried out on this proposed development as there may be potential significant negative impacts on European sites.

Mr Gallagher said this submission was noted and a detailed Screening for Appropriate Assessment report was prepared. The report examined potential impacts on the white clawed crayfish in Lough Owel. The River Brosna is hydrologically connected to Lough Owel, but this European site is 3.6km upstream, and with a hydraulic gradient of approximately six metres.

The conclusion of the screening report is that it can be excluded, on the basis of objective information, that the proposed development, individually or in combination with other plans or projects will have a significant effect on a European Site.

The council’s Environmental Department had no objection to the proposed development subject to the undertaking of an Environmental Construction Management Plan, appointment of an ecological clerk of works, suitable landscaping and the appropriate management of Japanese Knotweed on the site.

Mr Gallagher said: “Having considered the content of the submission and the issues raised by the Department and the response of the council’s environmental consultants, it is recommended that the development should proceed as proposed.”

Council cathaoirleach, Cllr Frank Keena, said he would be delighted to see such a scheme for Athlone. He complimented the executive on the work and thought they put into the report. He said it was incumbent on the council to provide housing and he put the matter to a vote.

Cllr Smyth withdrew her seconding of Cllr Heavin’s proposal when she was informed that the proposal was to reject the proposed development, not to amend it. The scheme was approved.