Social housing
As already stated, we have a serious shortage in housing in Kilkenny. I am all in favour of building housing on the brewery site, but we really have to think about the kind of housing we build here.
Much of the housing that has been built in Kilkenny in the last few years isn’t the kind of housing people today really want. Sure, people will buy it, if it is all there is, but given a choice, I think people would like to live somewhere that is better designed. People want to walk to the shops, cycle to school with their children and get to know their neighbors. If housing is designed properly, it can help give people the quality of life they desire.
What is shown in the brewery plan is just the same boring, dull, car centric design that was built during the boom in Kilkenny. There has not been any real thought as to what could be build there. Shouldn’t we be aiming from inspirational homes that give a better quality of life, promote community and social interaction? Does every house need to be right beside the road? Where will people sit in the evenings to talk to their neighbors? How will they walk to the shops? Can the right housing help make people fitter? There is plenty of car parking, but where will people keep their bikes? Can the design encourage people to walk with their children to school rather than drive?
I think the council should be aiming to build great housing on the brewery site. Housing that could be nominated for an award. Housing that stands as an example to developers wanting to build in Kilkenny as to what is possible. This is a very important point! We need more housing – but it is very hard to build it if people object to it. And people object to ugly housing. If it is done properly, people don’t object. We need to think about what is best long term for Kilkenny. We need good quality urban housing if we want to attract the high skilled workers and companies to Kilkenny. Modern, urban, dense and beautiful housing in a walkable city. And this is a change to show developers what we want the future of housing in Kilkenny to be!
Have a look at Accordia, in Cambridge for inspiration - http://fcbstudios.com/work/view/accordia. This housing development won the Stirling Prize. Shouldn’t we aim for something similar? It doesn’t have to cost more, but we could build something so much better.
Also, another problem we have today is empty nesters not willing to move out of half empty houses. Many people want to stay living in the community they know. Has this been considered here? Is there enough variety in housing for the long term of the community that will live there?
I know we have a shortage of housing in Kilkenny, but that isn’t a good enough excuse to build the wrong thing.