Lack of capacity for sewerage is ‘holding up development’ in West Limerick

WEST Limerick villages such as Templeglantine, Tournafulla and Mountcollins cannot expand and develop because of inadequate sewerage treatment facilities, Fine Gael’s Cllr Liam Galvin has argued.

But, according to the Abbeyfeale councillor,  it is not just private housing that is being stymied. Limerick City and County Council owns land in all these villages but this land can’t be built on because of a lack of sewerage treatment facilities.

According to figures released last month to Cllr Galvin, there is overload in Tournafulla’s sewerage treatment plant where the capacity is for a population of 85 only.

Capacity in Templeglantine is for a population of 112 with a population of 67, Cllr Galvin was told and  there is spare capacity, to accommodate an additional population of 153 in Mountcollins.

Athea is currently having its treatment plant upgraded to cater for 600 people and ultimately for 900. According to the council’s figures, Abbeyfeale is almost at full capacity.

“Planning applications for four new houses in  Tournafulla will have to be withdrawn because the developer can’t get into the sewerage system,” Cllr Galvin said. “That is how serious it is.” He also claimed that planning permission for the nursing home was refused because of a lack of capacity.”

But Cllr Galvin queried the Mountcollins figure, saying: “Five years ago, we were told Mountcollins was overloaded and we couldn’t get a house built out there,” he said. “I don’t recall any works being done in Mountcollins since.” He also argued that Templeglantine was actually at capacity.

He pointed out that the council has land in all these villages: 0.9 hectares in Tournafulla; 1.49 hectares in Mountcollins and 1.3 hectares in Templeglantine.

“There are 91 people on the housing waiting list for Abbeyfeale but 27 of these come from Tournafulla, Mountcollins and Templeglantine,” he pointed out. “They are looking for houses we can’t build. We haven’t got houses in the towns and we can’t provide houses in the villages.”

Lending his voice to Cllr Galvin’s argument, Cllr John Sheahan said that money wasn’t the issue when it came to housing. “But why can’t we get money for Tournafulla, Mountcollins and Athea?” he asked. And he argued that the housing section provide the money to  upgrade the sewerage systems. “It is a win-win for everyone,” he argued, and a case of “joined-up thinking.”

A workshop on housing and a meeting with Irish Water were being organised, councillors were told.