'Appalling invasion of privacy' fume residents of lane in Tullamore

THE construction of 62 modular homes adjacent to Clonminch Lane without the residents of the area being notified has been condemned as an “appalling invasion of privacy”.

Frank O'Reilly, spokesperson for the residents of Clonminch Lane , said he and his neighbours had not been consulted before construction work on the 62 modular homes to house Ukrainian refugees began on the site on April 17 last.

“I woke up on Monday, April 17 to the sound of construction equipment on the land directly behind our homes “ he told the Tribune this week.

Mr O'Reilly likened the work to “an invasion without the guns"

He said that residents of the lane had no prior notification of the work which he condemned as “deeply insulting and a disgrace.”

Mr O'Reilly added a leaflet drop had taken place in other areas adjoining the modular homes site outlining the works planned but the residents of Clonminch Lane hadn't been informed.

He stressed he and other residents of the lane are sympathetic to the plight of Ukrainian refugees and support the national efforts being made to provide assistance.

But he said the “sudden arrival of construction equipment on Monday, April 17 and the commencement of site development for modular homes proved to be a very rude awakening.”

Members of Offaly County Council were assured in a briefing by the Office of Public Works, the body charged with developing the site, that there would be engagement with local residents before work commenced on the Clonminch site.

Of the 62 planned modular homes, 16 are being placed on a site directly behind four of the houses on Clonminch Lane.

Mr O'Reilly, in a letter to the OPW, asked why it was necessary to plan 16 of the units directly the homes on the lane when the site was large enough for a less “invasive configuration”.

“We can only assume this was an oversight of simply a lack of consideration for the people who've lived on the lane for years,” he added.

Mr O'Reilly revealed the OPW has now agreed to construct a perimeter wall around the four homes affected by the development - “this will protect privacy on both sides, increase security and reduce noise levels”.

He and other residents want work on the wall to begin as soon as possible before the modular homes site is developed further.

The wall will be constructed on the council's property beyond the boundaries of the homes on Clonminch Lane and existing hedgerows and trees will remain intact.

The OPW has also stated it will plant semi-mature trees on the council side of the wall.

Access to the modular homes site will be from the main Portlaoise road at Clonminch and residents of Clonminch Lane are lobbying there be no access from the site onto the narrow lane for safety reasons as it could not accommodate additional vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

Mr O'Reilly said work on the modular homes site is progressing rapidly with an original handover date set for August 13 next.

Clonminch Lane residents have met with representatives of the OPW on the site to outline their concerns and the matter was brought to the attention of the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O'Gorman by Deputy Barry Cowen.

Mr O'Reilly paid tribute to Deputy Cowen and to local councillors Tony McCormack and Neil Feighery for their work on behalf of the lane's residents.

He added that in the long term the Clonminch site may be used for social housing considering the infrastructure that is being put in place there.

Mr O'Reilly also questioned the suitability of the Clonminch site for modular homes as there are no shops, schools or medical facilities within convenient walking distance.

It is understood that a regular bus service is to be provided and a bus stop was recently installed in the area.

Each of the units being put in place at the Clonminch site measures in the region of 45 square metres in area and costs approximately €145,000 to construct.

The homes will include a kitchen-dining-living area combined, a bathroom, a small bedroom and a large bedroom

The OPW was asked by the Government to develop the programme of rapid build modular homes on behalf of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) which is the Approving Authority for the programme.

The OPW is the sponsoring agency for the purposes of rolling out the programme, with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage identifying sites that might be suitable.

The homes will be highly energy efficient, durable units with a 60 year lifespan and the development of the sites will be conducted in an environmentally sustainable way to ensure that, post development, the site will enhance the local area, a statement from the OPW said.

Construction disruption will be limited as the units are manufactured off site the statement claimed.

DCEDIY will provide for the management and maintenance of the homes and sites once they are completed.

DCEDIY is working with other departments and agencies regarding availability of services.

The building of modular homes for Ukrainian refugees was raised with senior Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth officials at a meeting of the Dáil Public Accounts Committee recently. The meeting was also attended by Ciarán O'Connor, OPW State architect.

Laois Offaly TD Brian Stanley is the chair of the Committee which monitors the spending of public money by Government Departments.

Under questioning from Deputy Stanely on the use of the semi-detached prefabricated accommodation, Mr O'Connor outlined a possible future use. He said the buildings could be reconfigured by merging two together, to give one full-sized social house.

Mr O'Connor said there is another potential use. "We were cognisant of possible future use. It can be lifted and sent off to Ukraine as part of Ireland's aid to Ukraine later. It is a lift-and-plug house," he said.

The architect told Deputy Stanley that the homes would include a kitchen-dining-living area combined, a bathroom, a small bedroom and a large bedroom. He said up to four people could live in the semi-detached homes which have an option for a pull-out sofa bed in the dining area.

He told the Committee that the buildings have a lifespan of a minimum of 60 years and the cost varies between five suppliers.

TDs were also told that it is envisaged that approved housing bodies would manage maintenance.

The Department's Secretary General Mr Kevin McCarthy said there is "a good communications plan" in respect of the modular housing programme.

"We have people on the ground engaging with communities and speaking to their representatives and their local public representatives," he said.

However, Deputy Stanley disagreed. "The point is that there has been zero communication. In this vacuum, the rumour mill gets going," he said.

The issue was also discussed at this month's meeting of Tullamore Municipal District with councillors hitting out at the lack of consultantion with Clonminch residents.

Cllr Tony McCormack asked the council to write to the OPW to emphasise the need for the people of Clonminch to be included in the plans. ''This doesn't bode well for them (OPW) trying to do this elsewhere because the fact that we handed over this land to them in a section 183 was because of the assurances we were given. I'll tell you one thing if I thought for one second what happened was going to happen, I wouldn't have signed up for it and I wouldn't have voted in favour of allowing it to go through,'' said Cllr McCormack.

Agreeing, Councillor Sean O'Brien said, it's just not good enough. The council had no say, good bad or indifferent. We had no say with regards to the land, that land was zoned for industry and it was taken out of our hands. So it's the Government of the day that has to stand up as well. It's easy for people locally to give out, but it's their own party's Government that are making these decisions. I think it's disgraceful the way they are being treated.''

The Cathaoirleach of Tullamore Municipal District, Cllr Neil Feighery said while there is an obligation to house Ukrainian refugees, the land at Clonminch was handed over in the belief that there would be a full round of consultations with the people of the area.

''It's beyond belief that heavy track machines and heavy construction machinery moved in on site and topsoil was removed without the residents living right beside the site having had any communication with the Department of Children, Equality Disability and Integration or the OPW. It was so heavy handed,'' he said.