'County Development Plan fails to recognise there is a housing crisis in Meath'
PAUL MURPHY
There is still a housing crisis in Meath with 4,000 applicants on the social housing list and the proposed new development plan for the county over the next six years fails to recognise that, an independent councillor told a meeting of the council.
Nick Killian was speaking during consideration of the draft for 2021-27 at the Solstice Centre last week. Discussions about the new plan are expected to run into the approach to Christmas.
He had proposed a motion calling for a recognition in the plan for social and affordable housing for the next six years and that it also “fully recognises that a housing crisis exists”.
His main point in tabling the motion, he said, was that the development plan would not deliver much needed land for direct construction of social and affordable housing by Meath County Council. He said that Ratoath and Ashbourne municipal districts had no land left for local authority housing.
“In five years our housing numbers have not fallen below 4,000 applicants, this despite current policy to increase social house construction next year. Now we have a situation where the Department of Housing and the Environment own rules under the National Development Plan and the planning regulator will hinder social housing and affordable provision in Meath.
“No matter what aspiration we put into the document, we just don’t have the land to build on. The Minister for housing wants to build 17,000 social houses next year but where are they going to come from?”
Council CEO Jackie Maguire said that there was a shortage of land for this type of housing.
The council was actively seeking land in areas where they needed to build housing. She acknowledged that there was a shortage of housing and this had been considered during the preparation for the development plan.
She added: “It is particularly noted that rebuilding Ireland, an action plan for hosing and homelessness, published in July 2016 is an important consideration as part of the preparation of the [Meath] draft plan.
“This was specifically noted as part of section 2.9 of volume which specifically addresses housing. In relation to the provision of social and affordable housing this is addressed as part of housing strategy, that is an appendix to this draft plan. It is considered that this strategy outlines the requirements for social and affordable housing as part of this plan.”
It was considered that there were sufficient policies and objectives outlined as part of the draft plan to address the housing crisis as well as the provision of social and affordable housing.