by Louise Doyle
TWENTY per cent of a housing development in west Donegal granted the go-ahead for construction is to be occupied by persons with a ‘reasonable fluency in the Irish language’.
Applicant Axis Construction Limited has been granted planning permission from Donegal County Council for the construction of the development at Cnoc na gCaorach, Dungloe.
The development comprises 12 new houses, ranging in height from one to two-storey.
It will also involve the renovation and addition of a two-storey extension to an existing two-storey house to provide a total of 13 houses.
The mix of houses will consist of two-bed, three-bed and seven four-bed homes.
The plans, lodged in April of this year, have been granted permission, subject to 29 conditions.
Among the conditions set down include that prior to the commencement of the development, the applicant shall enter into an agreement with the Planning Authority to ensure that an appropriate proportion of the houses will be restricted to occupation by persons who have demonstrated a reasonable fluency in the Irish language.
Twenty per cent (three houses) of the total development are to be restricted.
The Planning Authority say the reason for this stipulation is in order to “protect the language and cultural heritage of this Gaeltacht area”.
Another condition is that the properties are to used as permanent houses only, and are not for the purposes of holiday homes.
In the interests of traffic safety and public health and safety, the applicant is to submit a written construction management plan to the Planning Authority.
This will provide for the location and details of all temporary construction access to the site, and temporary construction compounds during all phases.
Prior to the commencement of development works, the developer shall employ a qualified archaeologist to complete an archaeology assessment to examine the nature, extent and locations of archaeological material on the site.
Upon completion of development and prior to the first occupation of the dwellings, all roads and footpaths, public lighting, water supply and foul sewers serving the development must be finished.
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