Forty new houses for Newtowncunningham

Donegal County Council has opened a Part 8 consultation on its plans to build 40 new homes on land it owns in the centre of Newtowncunningham.

The council intends to build 20 apartments and 20 houses on ground between the existing Meadowfield and Hawthorn Hill estates in the townland of Ballyhaskey.

The site has a number of foundations and house footings from a previously abandoned development, and is ideally located in the centre of the village within walking distance of the local primary school, pharmacy, medical centre, shops and churches.
According to documents lodged under the Part 8 planning process, there are 41 approved applicants for social housing in Newtown and this new estate will, when completed, almost completely meet the existing needs.

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The housing estate will provide four one-bed and 16 two-bedroom apartments; 11 two-bedroom homes, seven three-bed homes, one four-bed home and one five-bed home, all of which is closely aligned with the existing social housing requirement.

The council says it plans to construct 'sustainable, well-designed low energy and low maintenance social homes' within a site where the public areas will be brought to a high quality finish.

More than 60 on-street car parking spaces will be provided, broken into small sections separated by trees. The green spaces within the estate will be overlooked by houses to give a sense of security and communal ownership. Traffic calming measure such as raised tables and pedestrian crossings within the estate will, the council believes, be conducive to effective traffic control.

The homes will be highly energy efficient and built to comply with the Nearly Zero Energy Building requirements. Solar panels will adorn the roofs of the airtight dwelling, and renewable energy sources such as air source heat pumps will be used where possible, the council says, adding that this should assist and support affordable living through lower heating and electricity costs. The council expects that the 40 homes will be constructed in three phases.

The plans can be viewed at the Carndonagh Public Services Centre at the Donegal County Council Headquarters in Lifford until 20 March, as well as online through the council website. Public consultation on the Part 8 planning application runs until 4 April, and must be sent in writing to the council by email or hard copy.