“May as well put tents on the Mall” – Councillor slams Mayo serviced sites plan

A proposal to pilot an affordable serviced sites scheme in Castlebar and Mayo Abbey using just four to six units has been rejected as wholly inadequate by members of the Mayo County Council Housing SPC.

Director of Services Tom Gilligan outlined the scheme, which is available to towns and villages with a population over 400, and confirmed the council was looking at two potential sites in Castlebar and another in Mayo Abbey.

Sites are available only to end-users and not to developers, with market value reduced by up to €50,000.

However, SPC chair Councillor Peter Flynn said the scale was an insult to members. "Talking about a pilot in Castlebar and Mayo Abbey, you may as well be putting up tents in the Mall," he said. He referenced available land on the Ballinrobe Road and at Monamore, and said the council needed to come back with something of substance.

Councillor Michael Kilcoyne recalled that Mayo County Council had delivered 45 serviced sites in Castlebar 40 years ago that are still in use today, and said that was the scale he had in mind.

Members agreed the scheme needed to be extended across all Municipal Districts.

Mr. Gilligan acknowledged the council has land and said he would return to the SPC with proposals for a minimum of 10 sites.

Councillor Neill Cruise called for the entire county to be designated an affordable housing area, saying the current requirement to make individual business cases for each town was, in his view, unworkable in the context of a nationwide housing crisis.