Published: Wednesday, 17th February, 2010 5:30pm

Monksland to grow larger than Roscommon town

by Karen Downey

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Roscommon County Council is to permit only the minimum housing density of eight houses per acre in the Monksland/Bealnamulla area, the amended draft local area plan has revealed.

Despite this, the plan which went on public display last Friday, still forecasts a population explosion which could see over 10,000 people living in the area in the next six to 15 years.

The modified plan reveals that Roscommon County Council still believes that the area's population could rival, and indeed surpass that of Roscommon town.

"Due to its proximity to the larger centre of Athlone and the employment opportunities which exist in this area it is realistic to expect that its population will rival and indeed may exceed that of the county town itself," the report states.

The original plan stated that the anticipated population of the Monksland/Bealnamulla area, which currently stands at just under 5,000, would reach 6,516 within one to nine years; 8,554 for years six to 15 and 13,588 within 12 to 33 years.

The revised plan now projects that there will be 7,280 people living in Monksland/Bealnamulla within years one to nine; 10,144 within years six to 15 and 13,918 within years 12 to 33.

Roscommon County Council now anticipates that there will be an additional 425 houses in the area during the lifetime of the plan, which is from 2010 to 2016.

The council will be ensuring that the minimum housing densities of eight houses per acre will be applied in the area.

However, planning guidelines state that local authorities must provide 50% more zoned land than is needed during the lifetime of the plan, which means some 637 houses could be accommodated on 80 acres of land, based on the minimum of eight houses per acre. These extra houses would account for an increase in population of 1,760, bringing the population of Monksland/Bealnamulla to just under 7,000.

The Monksland/Bealnamulla area plan, which was incorporated into the Roscommon County Development Plan 2008 - 2014 allowed for residential development six times greater than the 80 acres required, at 478.6 acres, which would allow for between 3,824 and 5,736 housing units over the lifetime of the plan.

The council conceded that if this amount of land was to be zoned it could lead to haphazard and sporadic development over the full area. If the land was to be zoned in this manner it could also have significant environmental effects, in terms of servicing, roads and transportation and social and community facilities, the council stated.

The council has also agreed to stagger the rate by which land is developed.

The report read: "For this reason, as recommended within the guidelines, Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas (DoEHLG, Dec 2008), a phasing programmes is proposed to 'ensure that the physical and social infrastructure required is provided in tandem to residential development' and the backlogs now evident in the area, particularly in terms of community facilities and services, are addressed."

The council has identified three phases with phase one covering one to nine years; phase two covering six to 15 years and phase three covering 12 to 33 years.

The council has already granted permission for some 542 units in ten different locations within the plan area, which would cater for the residential development requirement for the next six years. However, a further five areas have also been identified for phase one.

Roscommon County Council wants to concentrate development during phase one within a one kilometre radius of the junction of the Old Tuam Road and New Tuam Road.

It will only consider applications for phase two lands when 70% of phase one lands have been developed.

Within three years of the commencement of this plan, the council will review the 'take-up' of phase one lands and will then re-examine the phasing plan.