The defeat of a proposal to build 79 social housing units on the outskirts of Ashbourne spilled into the county council chamber this week when an independent councillor expressed his “disappointment” at the rejection of the plan. Last month, Ashbourne Municipal District councillors voted down the social homes plan because of the absence of affordable homes in the proposal.
The proposal to build 79 social homes has been submitted under a Part 8 planning application by the county council but was criticised for “lacking a balanced housing mix”. The development to be named Archers Glen was to include 41 two- bedroomed houses and 34 one-bedroomed apartments. The vote resulted 3-3 but the proposal was defeated on the casting vote of the cathaoirleach.
At Monday’s meeting of the county council, Independent Cllr Nick Killian said he had been concerned that the Part 8 proposal would not go through the Ashbourne MD. He realised that we lived in a democracy and people were entitled to vote the way they had. However, he believed that that particular decision did not give effect to the wishes of people seeking social housing in the Ashbourne area. Although he was in a different MD (Ratoath) he had many people from Ashbourne coming to him regarding housing. For many years he had served the people of Ashbourne as a county councillor. The consequences of the Ashbourne councillors’ decision disturbed him because these were 79 social units that would not now be built.
Cllr. Joe Bonner also questioned the consequences of the failed vote at The Ashbourne MD in June.
The effect of the vote was that the project would be “pushed two years down the road”. Seventy nine families who could have been housed earlier would not now be housed, he said. He respected the councillors concerned but at the same time he was “seriously disappointed”.
“I always believe that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush and we have lost the bird in the hand”. He asked that when the proposal comes before the councillors again that they should make a “responsible” decision and that they should think about the consequences of their decision.
Another Independent, Cllr Joe Bonner asked at the meeting, ”what were the consequences of the decision to vote down the development by the councillor’s ” and also ”consequences of the funding’ that would have been available for the 79 homes. Council Chief Executive Kieran Kehoe said that the executive will be looking at the decision and would see what options they could come back with. He also pointed at the monthly meeting that the council would face a €98,000 tax liability per year going forward, a tax on zoned developments not being developed and that it would be at least two years down the road. There was no response from the executive as to what happens to the funding that was in place for the Part 8. It is now off the table as regards the 79 homes for social housing.
