Crossmaglen looks set to enjoy a very welcome social housing boost.
A total of 22 new properties are being planned.
Proposals – in the name of Hanratty Homes Ltd and Arbour Housing Association – have been submitted to Newry, Mourne and Down District Council for consideration.
If approved, the new properties would be built on a site of vacant un-zoned land “immediately south-west of 12 and north-east of 10 Newry Road, Crossmaglen”.
The 22 units are all described as being semi-detached social housing.
It would comprise two three-person, two-bedroom wheelchair accessible bungalows and three five-person, three-bedroom units.
The remaining 17 houses would be five-person, three-bedroom split level properties.
The new housing development would benefit from the provision of a total of 44 parking spaces, while the proposals also include landscaping and associated siteworks.
According to a planning concept statement, the proposals would be of great benefit to the area and would be “constructed to ‘Lifetime Homes’ standard with full disabled wheelchair access throughout utilising level-deck door access”.
It says: “We will make a positive contribution to the character of the existing area through redeveloping the site for
residential use through the construction of a quality, well designed scheme.
“This site is ideal to facilitate a housing development as it provides high quality housing in the area, will address local housing need/retention of local population, and will provide for an improved urban grain through the removal of vacant settlement limit lands.
“The proposed layout has been designed to respect the site’s residential use and location and has been developed with an objective to enhance and harmonise the existing residential character.”
The main vehicular and pedestrian access will be from Newry Road.
The site is described as being “within walking distance of the Crossmaglen town centre and there are direct footpaths already in place”.
And the statement adds: “New high quality planting would be used to create pleasant garden areas for the residents.
“Tree planting and other soft landscaping works will also be an important aspect of the development, especially regarding the softening of the visual impact of areas of paving and bitmac. It will also be used to provide a visual contrast to the building.
“Existing trees to the site boundaries will be retained to provide natural screening of the development from neighbouring properties.”
The proposals will now be advertised shortly with a decision expected in due course.
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