The publication of new guidance allowing developers to provide wastewater infrastructure for housing could unlock stalled residential development in dozens of towns and villages across County Clare, according to Fine Gael TD Joe Cooney.
His comments follow the publication this week of the Guide to Developer-Led Wastewater Infrastructure by Housing Minister James Browne. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has also issued advice to Clare County Council on how planning applications for housing developments should be treated in settlements without wastewater treatment systems and where there is little prospect of such systems being delivered by Uisce Éireann.
Mr Cooney said the absence of wastewater infrastructure has long been a constraint on development in smaller rural settlements.
“The lack of these systems has held back many small towns and villages across Clare and throughout rural Ireland,” he said. “The publication of these guidelines is particularly welcome in Clare, where more than 50 settlements have effectively been unable to accommodate new housing.”
Deputy Cooney said he had been advocating for such a solution since his election to the Dáil and welcomed the clarity the guidance would bring for developers and communities.
“This approach will give builders and communities clarity around the process. Developers will have to work in partnership with Uisce Éireann and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure that any system put in place meets the required standards,” he said.
Under the new framework, developers must engage extensively with Uisce Éireann before submitting planning applications and carry out the necessary technical assessments. A pre-connection enquiry must first be made to the utility, which will determine whether a connection to the public network is feasible, potentially feasible following planned upgrades, or not feasible at all.
Where connections are not currently possible, temporary “bridging infrastructure” may be permitted until upgrades are completed. In areas where no upgrade is planned, developers may be required to provide permanent wastewater infrastructure to serve smaller housing developments. Potential solutions include nature-based systems such as constructed wetlands or reed-bed treatment systems, as well as package treatment plants built to technical standards acceptable to Uisce Éireann.
In cases involving temporary infrastructure, developers must demonstrate that there will be no increase in biological loading on existing wastewater systems relative to permitted discharge limits, and agreements must be reached with the utility before construction begins.
Where permanent developer-led systems are proposed, compliance with registration criteria set by the EPA under EU water policy regulations will also be required.
Mr Cooney said, “The process will involve significant engagement with Uisce Éireann throughout, but the new guidance will open up opportunities for housing development in rural communities that have long been constrained by the lack of wastewater infrastructure.”