Major facelift for Kells with new housing development

A PROPOSED new housing development for Kells will provide 43 much needed social housing units as well as providing a major facelift for the town.

Meath County Council has outlined a Draft Design Proposal for the Carrick St/Maudlin St Revival project, which includes 43 housing units.

The project involves renovating existing buildings, some of which are derelict and building new units on land at the rear of the houses.

The development will include premises fronting onto Carrick Street and Maudlin Street in the heart of Kells.

The new housing units will include 11 existing on-street houses and 32 new units to the rear of existing houses on a brownfield site.

The news has been warmly welcomed locally.

Cllr Sean Drew said the proposal ticks all the right boxes, providing badly needed housing including age friendly homes and single bed units, as well as bringing back vacant properties and regenerating the area.

“It is providing mixed housing for families, the elderly and single people. I am delighted,” he said.

Cllr Sarah Reilly was particularly pleased that the development will include 17 one bedroomed units.

“Seventy five per cent of those on the housing list in Kells are looking for one or two bedroom units,” she adds.

At a recent presentation, councillors learned that the proposals involved renovating 11 existing on street properties and the development of 14 new terraced family dwellings.

It will include 12 one-bed age-friendly units as well as six housing units in an apartment building.

The council points out that the development is reusing and repairing vacant and derelict properties.

On street properties in both Maudlin Street and Carrick Street have extensive back gardens which provide an ideal brownfield site for the additional housing units.

The mix of housing is aimed at reinforcing and enhancing community life in a very attractive area, which is close to the centre of town and a wide variety of amenities.

The development is in both an archaeological and architectural conservation area and will respect the Medieval history of Kells.

Cllr Drew points out that the development will have vehicular access and off street car parking, but no through access.

“This is the kind of project we should be carrying out countywide.

“The site is so central and we are using existing buildings and brownfield sites.

“It will regenerate both Carrick Street and Maudlin Street and improve the streetscape of the town.

“I will be keeping in touch with both the council and the Department to ensure this project is treated as a priority,” he said.

Cllr Reilly said she was confident that it would receive early approval from the Department and could soon proceed to planning. It is proposed that a detailed design will be submitted to the Department for second stage approval prior to going on public display for planning approval.

There are currently 570 on the housing waiting list in the Kells electoral area, 240 of whom are looking for one bedroom accommodation, 232 who want two bedrooms, 75 who have applied for three bedroom housing and 23 seeking four bedrooms.