New housing supply targets are set for Mayo towns

Mayo County Council has adopted a plan to increase its annual housing supply targets from 542 to 1,111 a year, with a view to facilitating the construction of 4,444 new houses between now and 2028.

Following a direction from the Department of Housing to zone new residential lands, the council is to rezone 195 hectares of Strategic Residential Reserve Tier 1 lands in the main towns of Castlebar, Westport and Ballina, and increase housing targets in smaller towns, villages and townlands. Altogether, it intends to add 480 acres to the existing 330 acres of zoned new residential development land. The Mayo County Development Plan (CDP) 2022-2028 has been amended accordingly.

In terms of specifics, housing targets will rise as follows in the following towns: Ballina, from 511 to 700; Castlebar, 708 to 972; Westport, 285 to 392; Ballinrobe, 122 to 165; Ballyhaunis, 71 to 98; Belmullet, 108 to 147; Claremorris, 182 to 247; and Swinford, 68 to 94. Meanwhile, the towns of Balla, Charlestown, Kiltimagh, Killala, Knock, Louisburgh, Newport, Foxford and Crossmolina will see their combined annual target rise from 251 to 343 homes. Eighteen Mayo 'settlements' outlined in the CDP are also to see increases up to 2028, rising from 116 to 160 each year, while 30 villages, collectively, will see a target rise from 30 new houses to 40 new houses per year, with 1,086 new houses allocated to the category of 'Open Countryside'.

Councillors reacted both hot and cold to the announcement at last week's meeting with many criticising housing development levels in the county overall and highlighting a myriad of problems around the provision of social and affordable housing and delays in processing refurbishment grants such as for the Croí Conaithe scheme.

Several councillors suggested variations to the plan but Director of Services Catherine McConnell advised that such a strategy would lead to delays in opening up the new fully serviced Tier 1 lands, which could otherwise be activated almost immediately. It was agreed that the variation requests could be put to the Department of Housing in early January. Councillors then approved the re-zoning proposal.

The council's chief executive Kevin Kelly explained that bringing into consideration all Strategic Reserve Tier 1 lands would make a further 480 acres of land available, which  “will ensure the immediate availability of fully serviced land ready for development”.

Mr Kelly said significant changes have been introduced to Ireland’s housing strategy with the National Planning Framework having revised population projections from 6.1 to 6.3 million people by 2040, and setting a target of 50,000 new homes per annum. 

“This marks a substantial increase from the original 2018 projections and necessitates a corresponding revision of local authority development plans to ensure adequate land is zoned for residential development”, he told members.

• Published as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.