‘For the love of God let the town grow’
Mitchelstown auctioneers firmly state that the failure by Irish Water to expedite the critical improvement works to the waste water treatment plant has caused a local housing crisis.
As previously revealed by The Avondhu, council planning officials have not been able to progress the planning application for large scale housing developments.
This is directly linked back to the problems associated with an under functioning, over capacity waste water treatment plant.
Now, two local auctioneers have spoken about the reality on the ground in a housing crisis that has seen many prospective house buyers living in limbo.
Eamonn O’Brien of CCM Property, said that the problems of a national housing crisis has been made much worse in Mitchelstown.
“Certainly there is a scarcity of housing in the town. It is a problem all over the country but it is compounded here by not being able to create new houses due to the lack of an adequate waste water treatment plant,” he said.
“We are short of housing in Mitchelstown, no different on the face of it than anywhere else, but the difficulty is we can’t go out and make bold decisions to satisfy the need.
“Mitchelstown is at the centre of Munster, it is perfect for commuting. It is very attractive to someone who needs to find a nice community with affordable properties.
“There is better value the further you get back from the city, even if it means an extra ten minutes in the morning. There is very good value in Mitchelstown, and it is surrounded with natural amentities,” Eamon added.
He said there are a number of business people looking to invest in building large-scale housing developments, but the appetite is not there as long as Mitchelstown’s much-needed infrastructure is not funded.
Eamonn added that one-off developments, with their own septic tanks, will not meet the demand.
“You can see in the law of economics, more products available means more choice, this creates less pressure for buyers. The more housing stock we have out there the better. At the moment the lack of housing is creating a false high, it is grand for the vendor but not for the customer,” he added.
Another auctioneer is Michael Dorgan, of Dorgan Auctioneers and Valuers, who said that he was contacted by the developer who is hoping to build on the convent site in the town.
The development would bring more than 60 properties to the town and it has already been granted planning permission in principle. "However, the impasse with the waste water treatment plant means they cannot begin to build."
The fact of the matter, Michael goes on to state, is that the sewerage problem is 'very real and tangible'. "It certainly exists, (and is) definitely holding back the town in so many ways.”
“I have people coming to me with mortgage approval. There are more buyers and demand there than any supply that exists.
“Back over five to six years as the market was recovering there was a real tangible lack of supply, but the killing thing is that numerous grants of planning can’t get off the ground,
“One particular developer, who is in the convent in Mitchelstown, was on to me asking is there any updates on the sewerage issue. He can’t progress with sewerage issues as they are,” Michael explained.
Michael said 'the only solution' is to fix the sewerage system.
“It just needs to be dealt with. There is no easy fix, no way of setting up temporary facilities.
“No developer, he or she, won’t dream of starting.
“I would beg and plead to council and Government to allow Mitchelstown grow so that we can get new blood in. We don’t want to drive them out of town. For the love of God allow the town to grow,” Michael pleaded.