Council asked to extend zoned lands

Cavan County Council is being urged to act “immediately” to review and extend zoned lands for housing development.

Cllr Shane P. O’Reilly made the call at the May meeting of Cavan County Council in light of a directive from the Department of Housing for all local authorities to do so.

The Mullagh man said that “one month ago” the local authority was informed it would have to “re-open the County Development Plan to look at more lands to be re-zoned”.

The current plan covers the period 2024-2029 and set out the requirement for the construction of around 4,000 new houses over the five-year term. Cllr O’Reilly, meanwhile, has asked that the council engage in public discourse on the issue.

The revised National Planning Framework was approved by government last month, when it was also announced that local authorities would be instructed to rezone more lands for residential use in their County Development Plans.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr O’Reilly told the Celt that local authorities were asked to do this on May 12 and must do so within a six-month timeframe. In the meeting, he described the move as “very prudent”, he said that the council are “not long after” going through a County Development Plan process.

“There wasn’t one recommendation made by the planning regulator,” he praised of the plan.

On the current re-zoning, he said those who produce “good” plans “fairly rapidly” are those who will “receive the funding.”

However, he also pointed out that “we are being asked to do something with minimum direction”.

Cllr Niall Smith (FF) supported the motion; while Cllr Clifford Kelly (FF) said that “knowing that our population is growing” he “welcomes what the Minister has done.”

“We can’t and wont be able to supply that [demand for housing] unless the land is re-zoned at the earliest possible stage.”

Cllr Brendan Fay (Ind) supported the motion, describing how “quite a few are looking to get land zoned”.

Cllr T.P. O’Reilly (FG) said that work on the development plan was “set in stone”.

“A year later that’s out the window,” he fumed, detailing that there is “any amount of zoned land”.

He said the “real problems we have on the ground” must be addressed, mentioning the availability of builders and service providers.

Cllr O’Reilly also said there is a need to “cut out the red tape”.

Cllr Patricia Walsh (FF) asked: “Is the infrastructure there to cater for all this?” and furthered that there are “a lot of questions to be asked”.

Director of Services Brendan Jennings said that the timeframe of six months to get underway with the task poses a “significant challenge” however he said the local authority “will look to zone additional lands”.