KNAPPAGH RD DEVELOPMENT GETS GO AHEAD
A social housing development on a site on the Strandhill Road, has been approved despite objections from residents of a nearby housing estate.
The Council rubber- stamped the 28 home development at this month’s County Council meeting.
The 28 homes will consist of two terraces of apartments and duplex townhouses at a Council owned site between the Railway Bridge and Thornhill which also backs on to The Showgrounds.
Councillor Rosaleen O’Grady raised the concerns of Thornhill residents at the meeting.
Thornhill Residents Association objected to the development on the grounds of concern over road safety.
Their submission stated that the volume of traffic at the Scoil Ursula start and finish times already causes major congestion for vehicles coming into Thornhill.
They said the proposed development would make this situation worse.
They submitted a photo showing the Thornhill entrance completely blocked by parents’ cars at 9.05am.
Sligo County Council paid ¤ 1.8million for the site at the height of the boom in 2007.
The development is being carried out by the Council so Thornhill Residents Association have no recourse to appeal to An Bord Pleanála.
In his reply to the residents, Council Chief Executive Ciarán Hayes said: “It is not considered that the proposed development will exacerbate this situation to any significant degree as the close proximity of the site to the school will allow pupils to walk to school.”
The Council has agreed to take up the issue of illegal parking of parents in Thornhill up with the Gardaí and Scoil Ursula and will measure traffic movements there.
The development of the housing scheme was proposed to go ahead by Cllr Martin Baker and seconded by Cathaoirleach Councillor Huberty Keaney.