Council told to to start delivering more houses in west Mayo

MAYO County Council have been urged to concentrate on delivering one and two bedroom apartments to deal with the demand for housing in the county.

The call was made by Westport-based Fine Gael councillor Peter Flynn who told the monthly meeting of the Westport/Belmullet Municipal District that there was a need for more housing throughout west Mayo.

Before the meeting the councillors were given a tour of the new 50-unit housing development on the Golf Course Road in Westport which will be known as Bog Gate Demesne.

While welcoming the new houses and wishing the new occupants well, Cllr Flynn lamented what he described as a lost opportunity to develop more units on the eight acre site.

“It was a lost opportunity to have an eight and half acre site and only 50 houses on it on one of the most favourable sites in Connacht. There is water under the bridge now but we should have had at least 100 homes down there including one and two bedroom apartments but it is done now. We need to figure out where we are going with our housing because right now we have nothing on the horizon for the west Mayo area. We do need to figure out how we address the housing need in all of west Mayo and not just Westport.

READ: Progress on controversial west Mayo Greenway expected in March

“The vast majority of people are looking for one and two bedroom houses and yet the focus is on building three bedroom houses around the county. Our need and supply are completely at odds with each other. The more apartments we can build the more people we can deliver to and that needs to be the priority,” he said.

His fellow Westport councillor Brendan Mulroy also welcomed the new houses on the Golf Course Road but told the council officials that more houses are needed in Westport.

“Now is the time for us to be buying land across Westport. Are we in the process of buying land in Westport? The 50 social houses will free up another 50 houses in Westport which will be available for rent but the affordability sector is our next battle and we have to be buying land to deliver,” he said.

Seamus Ó Mongáin, Head of the Municipal District defended the council's housing record in west Mayo saying there was a significant expansion of the housing stock being undertaken and added 'we don't intend to stop'.