Planning permission is being sought to develop a 20 home co-operative housing project in Ardmore in West Waterford.

The plans have been formed by the Ardmore Grange Housing Study Group and the Ó Cualann Co-housing Alliance in response to difficulties faced by local people in acquiring houses to buy or rent.

Representatives of both groups met with council officials earlier this month to outline their proposal, which would see the construction of both private affordable homes for purchase, and social houses for rent.

Dick Lincoln is a member of the Ardmore Grange Housing Study Group, says that the village has been a ‘victim of it’s own success’ as a tourist venue..

“47% of the houses within the development area of Ardmore are holiday homes and only three percent are available for rent. We’re a victim of our own success…things are going well from a tourism point of view, so much so that people are looking for houses and they can’t get houses. We also see a problem with Ardmore National School, the intake of children isn’t what it used to be.”

He says that the issue is over the availability of houses rather than insufficient stock.

Dick Lincoln says their housing study group has been working closely with a similar development in Dublin.