Battle lines drawn over green spaces

Local councillors pushed through a raft of motions that will limit full-scale residential development in some areas of Cavan Town for the foreseeable future. The move was at odds with the position taken by the council executive, and contrary to national guidelines.

The areas involved include a 14-plus acre greenfield site at Swellan; four acres of which must now be designated as ‘usable public open space’ for the community; lands overlooking Killymooney Lough, and the Council-owned former machinery yard on Farnham Road. In the case of the latter two sites, only a limited number of houses could be built on either.

The decisions were made against a backdrop of demand for social-housing in Cavan Town far out-stripping that everywhere else in the county.

According to the latest figures, more than a third of all those on the housing list in Cavan are seeking a home in the county town and its immediate environs. This includes 113 people requiring one bedroom houses, 134 seeking two bed properties, 109 three-beds, and 25 four-bed homes.

Cllrs were even warned over the prospect of setting a potentially worrying “precedent” that might stymie investment in housing for the lifespan of the CDP. But the argument forcefully put forward by the elected members was grounded by concerns regarding over-saturation of development and a perceived need for new open space and residential amenities in those areas affected.

The alterations to what was initially proposed by the Chief Executive Tommy Ryan are now contained in the amended draft Cavan County Development Plan 2022-2028.

Contentious

Among the most contentious changes was one proposed jointly by Cllr Patricia Walsh and Cllr John Paul Feeley. Together they sought to alter the status of the ‘Proposal Residential’ zoned land abutting the current Gaelscoil at Aughnaskerry to ‘Amenity and Open Space’ in order to provide a public open space and ‘appropriate park and open space’ facility in Cavan Town overlooking Killymooney Lough.

Senior planner Nicholas O’Kane tried his best to convince them not to pursue the move. He said the site, as originally zoned, served a number of purposes, and meet national guidelines on supporting potential infill development. It was added that the Council had also been working with the Gaelscoil regarding its possible future growth, and the requirement of additional space to meet needs. Mr O’Kane further explained that the local authority had an “open and interactive” relationship with the site owner, which already extended to securing their investment in developing a community park area with a jetty, walking paths and seating. Conscious not to compromise the lough itself, he said of what had been agreed with the developer: “We think the balance struck is the right balance.”

He stressed again the importance of having centrally located sites that were available for residential development if needed.

Cllr Feeley pointed out to members logging on to last Monday’s virtually held meeting there is a “huge number” of houses already built in the immediate locality with little or no green area. He stressed the importance of such provision as a key tenet of the proposed CDP where there was a focus on sustainable and considered development in line with what communities also require.

The motion was deferred until the end of the list to allow Mr O’Kane furnish plans of what is being proposed regarding installing an amenity area, which in time would encompass the entirety of the lough.

Unmoved, the motion narrowly passed, with eight for (Philip Brady, Aiden Fitzpatrick, John Paul Feeley, Clifford Kelly, Sarah O’Reilly, Shane P O’Reilly, Sean Smith and Patricia Walsh), seven against (Madeleine Argue, Winston Bennett, Carmel Brady, Peter McVitty, TP O’Reilly, Trevor Smith, Val Smith), and three abstentions (Brendan Fay, Craig Lovett and Paddy McDonald).

Swellan lands

An almost identical scenario played out on another joint-motion tabled by Cllrs Walsh and Feeley regarding a proposal to demand, initially, that a minimum of two acres of lands zoned for residential development in Swellan be used for public open space and ‘designed in a way that serves the wider community in this area’.

Again proposed by Cllr Walsh and seconded by Cllr Feeley, their motion was amended upwards to stipulate that four acres be used for open space and community purposes.

Cllrs were informed that, with regard any development, between 10-15% of a proposed area must be designated for community space. The initial two acres proposed fell even below that threshold, and upped to five acres, before Cllr Feeley proposed an medium of four. He stated that it would be a case of “best practice” to ensure land was designated for such use.

However, Chief Executive Tommy Ryan warned of the prospect of setting a “precedent”, intoning that the Council was better placed in terms of supporting more generalised recommendations compared to site specific ones. He pointed to a concession regarding an earlier and somewhat similar motion tabled by Aontú’s Sarah O’Reilly for Bailieborough, where she sought to have “community facilities” developed ‘in tandem’ with residential development on lands zoned for housing on the Kingscourt Road. The council warned that such a tact might “sterilise” development instead of promoting it, and it was agreed a second motion be adopted that would see the council commit to promoting the development of community facilities where possible instead. Mr O’Kane stated the council’s objection was “based on consistency” in planning rather than any objection to the merit of Cllrs Walsh and Feeley’s proposal.

The motion was passed by nine votes (Madeleine Argue, Brendan Fay, John Paul Feeley, Clifford Kelly, Sarah O’Reilly, Shane P O’Reilly, TP O’Reilly, Sean Smith, and Patricia Walsh), with one objector (Trevor Smith), and eight abstentions (Winston Bennett, Carmel Brady, Philip Brady, Aiden Fitzpatrick, Craig Lovett, Paddy McDonald, Peter McVitty, and Val Smith).

Former machinery yard

The third split vote concerned the stretch of ground between Drumnavanagh and the Cavan General Hospital grounds, once used as a machinery yard by the council. Proposed by Cllr Feeley and seconded by Cllr Walsh, Mr O’Kane was once again on hand to put forward the executive’s opposing view, where he said the zoning of the land for residential development met with the national guidelines on supporting infill investment.

Cllr Feeley on the other hand suggested that, given narrow access and the prior use of the lands, it might not be “suitable” for residential development. He indicated that locals including those living in adjacent apartment blocks had “little or no” open space. Therefore a “community garden” would be beneficial, both for them and the hospital.

Recommending it be zoned instead for community use, which may leave it more “flexible” for other development of non-traditional residential, such as sheltered housing, Mr O’Kane’s proposal was voted down when it went before councillors, who sided 14 in favour of rezoning the lands ‘Amenity and Open Space’, with four abstaining (Winston Bennett, Carmel Brady, Brendan Fay and Trevor Smith).