Council to prevent outsiders buying in Wicklow

A new housing strategy that will prevent people from outside Wicklow from buying new houses in certain areas of the county was finalised by councillors yesterday.

The Wicklow County Council County Settlement Strategy also restricts the movement of residents from some areas of the county to others, within the new housing market.

People from outside the county will be completely barred from buying new homes in large or small villages or in "rural clusters", such as Laragh, Annamoe and Talbotstown. And only 25 per cent of new houses built in small towns such as Avoca and Ashford will be available to those outside the county.

The plan applies only to newly built homes and divides the county into 10 areas.

"Urban areas" in categories one to three, including Bray, and Wicklow Town will be an open market where anyone can buy a new home.

In category four, "moderate growth towns" including Blessington, 80 per cent of the new homes will be open to everyone, but 20 per cent will be reserved for those who have been living or working in Wicklow for at least a year.

Some 50 per cent of new homes built in a category five area, "small growth towns" like Enniskerry, will be retained for residents living or working for five or more years in Wicklow, but excluding residents of the top three areas. Of the remaining 50 per cent, half will be for open market and half will be available to those living or working for one year or more in Wicklow, but again excluding the top three areas. In effect, a person currently living in Bray or Wicklow Town will only be offered 25 per cent of the new homes built in areas such as Kilcoole or Rathdrum, the same as a person who has never lived in the county at all.

Category area six also applies to "small growth towns" and includes Avoca and Kilmacanogue. It offers similar restrictions to category five but allows the top three category residents to qualify for an extra 25 per cent of housing.

Category seven covers 16 large villages and offers no new homes to the general market. Some 25 per cent of all future homes built here will be sold to anyone working or living in Wicklow for at least one year. The remaining 75 per cent of the new homes will be offered to those living or working for five years or more in the county, excluding those in the top three categories.

Some 20 small villages are listed in category eight. Anyone wishing to live here must be a first time homeowner and must be a "permanent native resident", ie have lived for 10 years or more within 8 kilometres of the village. They may also qualify for a new home if they need to move for employment reasons.

Another 33 areas are included in category nine, "rural clusters" including Talbotstown and Kilmurray, with the same conditions as eight. Category 10 refers to restrictions on one-off rural housing, which had already been incorporated in the county development plan.