Tipperary county council unveils plans to demolish 52 unfinished houses in ghost estate

Plans by Tipperary County Council to demolish 52 unfinished houses at Ballypadeen, near Cashel on the old Dublin Road, are now available for public inspection.

READ MORE: Mattie McGrath attends crib blessing for Feast of the Immaculate Conception

Documents can be viewed at council offices in Tipperary town, Nenagh, and Clonmel, as well as online on the council’s website.

The stalled development dates back to 2007 when construction ceased following a dispute between the developer and officials from the former South Tipperary County Council.

Since then, the project has been the subject of extensive legal proceedings, including cases in the District Court, the High Court, the Supreme Court, and the Court of Appeal.

At the time work stopped, the houses were partially complete, with roofs, windows, doors, plumbing, and electrical first fix installations in place.

While Tipperary County Council will cover the costs of demolition, it is not expected to assume ownership of the site. The council also plans to remove four metal cabins and manage the disposal of construction waste through a licensed operator.

In addition, a palisade fence will be erected on either side of the entrance off the R639 old Dublin Road. The works will not address the existing stockpile of slag or the concrete pads supporting the substructures.

According to the planning report, the proposal is expected to “result in a substantial improvement to the visual amenity of the area in addition to the setting, and views to and from the Rock of Cashel, one of the Royal Sites of Ireland.”

Declan Burgess, Fine Gael councillor in Cashel, described the situation as challenging. He cited ongoing issues with illegal dumping and anti-social behaviour at the site. “There is going to be a significant effort in tackling the dereliction that is on the site,” he said.

Councillor Burgess added: "It’s been quite a stressful and frustrating situation for the community of Cashel but particularly for the residents out there who’ve lived beside that dereliction and uncertainty for nearly 20 years.”

The report notes that due to planning restrictions and costs, the units cannot be converted for residential use. They were originally intended to serve as ancillary accommodation for a hotel that was never built at the centre of the site.

Because of the scale of the expenditure, the council must carry out a Part 8 planning process. Members of the public can submit their observations until February 3.

Following the consultation period, councillors in the Tipperary Cahir Cashel Municipal District will vote on the planners’ report, which will then be presented to Sinead Carr, CEO of Tipperary County Council.

Full project details are available on the council website under Consultations and on the Local Government Planning Portal. Users are advised that the portal will be closed from December 23 until January 2.

READ MORE: Tipperary’s largest town fights drug problems with enforcement and prevention