Two developments granted permission despite concerns.

BANDON is set for a housing boom with planning permission granted for more than 450 homes in two separate developments.

Wayleaf B Limited was granted planning permission by Cork County Council last week for a large-scale development of 240 homes at Coolfada and Kilbrogan, subject to 79 planning conditions.

Castle Rock Homes (Bandon) Ltd got the green light for a Large Scale Residential Development (LRD) of 212 units at Knockbrogan, subject to 55 conditions.

However, local public representatives have warned of a lack of vital infrastructure, including the Northern Relief Road. They blame successive governments for failing to deliver infrastructure to support growth in towns like Bandon.

The Wayleaf development will comprise 156 houses, 84 apartments and a crèche to cater for up to 60 children.

The Castle Rock Homes development will comprise a mix of three- and four-bed units at the location which is also north of Bandon town centre.

The developer successfully appealed one of the conditions relating to a special development contribution of €678,400 to Cork County Council.

Castle Rock Homes was asked to contribute to an upgrade of the Old Cork Road/ Macroom Road junction to reduce traffic congestion.

The developer had argued that adding this special contribution was amounting to ‘double charging.’

Cllr John Collins (Ind Ire) has welcomed the planned 450 new homes for the town.

‘We need housing here in Bandon and infrastructure has always been very poor in this country anyway, and authorities have always put this down the line on the list instead of being top of the list,’ he said.

He also welcomed the decision by An Comisiún Pleanála to grant planning permission to Castle Rock Homes agreeing that it was unfair to levy a special contribution to Cork County Council when other developers didn’t have to.

Cllr Ann Bambury (SD) said she also fully supports both housing developments in the town.

‘People want to live where they are from and should have the opportunity to do so,’ she said.

‘The Northern Relief Road should have been constructed years ago considering the amount of land on the northern side of the town zoned for planning.’

She said they are fortunate enough in Bandon to have a mix of housing tenure opportunities currently under construction compared to other towns in the county.

But she added: ‘I’ve constantly raised the issue that government policy has failed to deliver the infrastructure needed to support that growth.

‘The recent variation to the County Development Plan across all local authorities is a clear example in that we are being effectively asked to zone land for houses, not for communities. We can’t just build houses alone, we have to build communities and that means investing in amenities, services, public spaces and infrastructure.’

Meanwhile, An Coimisiún Pleanála’s planning inspector upheld the appeal by Castle Rock Homes (Bandon) Ltd noting that not all housing developments in the vicinity have been the subject of this ‘special contribution’.