Twenty six modular homes for Ukrainian refugees now in place at Offaly site

TWENTY SIX modular homes to house Ukrainian refugees are now in place on a site at Clonminch on the outskirts of Tullamore.

In total 62 modular homes will be installed by the Office of Public Works (OPW) on the land off the main Portlaoise road close to Clonminch Lane, where a number of residents have raised serious concerns about lack of consultation.

Negotiations between residents and the OPW are ongoing and developments are expected during the week, Frank O'Reilly a spokesperson for the residents of Clonminch Lane told the Tribune on Tuesday morning.

Mr O'Reilly said the “units couldn't really be any closer to our homes”.

“There have been astonishing changes in just a few weeks,” he added.

“This development will have a social and economic impact on Clonminch and Tullamore for many years to come.”

Of the 62 homes, 16 will be directly behind four of the houses on Clonminch Lane. A perimeter wall is to be built around the modular homes to separate the site from Clonminch Lane.

The wall “will protect privacy on both sides, increase security and reduce noise levels,” Mr O'Reilly told the Tribune in May.

The wall will be constructed on Offaly County Council property beyond the boundaries of the homes on Clonminch Lane and existing hedgerows and trees will remain intact.

The OPW also stated it will plant semi-mature trees on the council side of the wall.

Mr O'Reilly condemned the construction of the modular homes adjacent to Clonminch Lane without the residents of the area being notified in advance as an “appalling invasion of privacy”.

“I woke up on Monday, April 17 to the sound of construction equipment on the land directly behind our homes,” he said.

Councillors hit out at the lack of consultation with Clonminch residents when the Tullamore Municipal District met in May.
The Tullamore houses are part of a Government approved modular home project which will see 700 homes built and completed on sites throughout the country.

Each unit measures in the region of 45 square metres in area and costs approximately €145,000 to construct.

The homes will include a kitchen-dining-living area combined, a bathroom, a small bedroom and a large bedroom.

However the sites can only be used for this purpose for a maximum of three years, after which a full routine planning process must take place to determine the future use of the sites.

The Clonminch site will have roads, footpaths, street lighting and community facilities, including a play area and green spaces in line with local authority planning guidance.