No law to stop approved private housing ending up as social homes

There is no legal provision preventing approved planning applications for private housing developments ending up becoming social housing when built, Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District’s monthly meeting was informed.  

This clarification was given to Carrick-on-Suir Cllr Kieran Bourke who asked how legal it was for planning applications approved for private housing  to turn out to be social housing. 

He said he was asking the question as there was a housing development in Carrick-on-Suir that was going to be social housing but the planning application submitted to the council was for private housing. 

“People living in the area have a problem with it and seem to be getting no answers from anybody,” he told council management. 

Kieran Ladden of  Tipperary County Council’s Planning Department    responded that there was nothing in legislation that requires the council to consider a planning application in terms of who the end user will be. 

“We assess the application based on the information supplied to us, be it a private developer or public body. We assess it on its merits and proper planning. 

“Who the end user ends up being after that is largely outside our control. If an Assisted Housing Body (AHB) needs to acquire a site that is out of the local authority’s control,” he added.