Tipperary County Council agrees to meet Nenagh residents over plan to buy houses

Tipperary County Council housing section is willing to engage with residents of a Nenagh estate who are concerned over council plans to buy houses in their area, Nenagh Municipal District Council was told.

The issue was raised by Cllr Seamus Morris at the March meeting of Nenagh Municipal District Council, when he said council plans to purchase 19 houses in Springford Meadows at Streame was causing concerns for residents who were objecting to the plan.

Cllr Morris also said that the residents were objecting to proposals to build a further 18 houses in the estate under the council’s housing programme for 2022-2026.

“They are fearful that the council will buy these as well,” he said.

Cllr Morris said the plans to buy the 19 turnkey houses had never appeared on any council report.

He said local councillors had no information to give to residents when they were asked about the proposals.

“It’s a fairly settled estate and I can’t allay their fears,” said Cllr Morris. “We can’t explain to people when we don’t know about it.”

He pointed out that the council had gone through the same issues with residents in Cormack Drive, where the council faced opposition to build 18 houses in the estate and eventually built 12 units.

“The residents just want to meet the council to ask why they bought the houses,” he said.

“We’ll take every house we can, but we have a responsibility to residents,” said Cllr Morris.

He suggested that the council set aside a section of the houses for people who were working or paying rent and saving to buy their own home.

District Cathaoirleach Cllr Hughie McGrath replied that it had been explained at the last full council meeting how the system operated and that they had been told they had been kept informed through bi-monthly management reports.

However, Cllr McGrath said that a council official, Jonathan Cooney, was willing to meet the residents of Springford Meadows.

Housing officials undertook to put the meeting in place.

The council has a number of projects in hand around the town under the 2023-2026 house construction programme, including 65 new houses in Tyone; 10 units on the former Rialto cinema site at Banba Square; seven units on William Street and 10 units that are under construction at Woodview Close and which will be completed this year.