THE FAST MOVING world of property waits for no-one… well, except the highest bidder. Each week, there are new stories, reports and construction projects to keep up with.
Our five-minute digest of the week’s biggest stories helps you ensure you’re all caught up. This week, the Church of Scientology are making waves in Co Meath, and plans for a nuclear power plant in the UK could affect Irish shores.
Work on the Scientology-backed Narconon centre began in Ballivor, Co Meath this week, despite resistance from locals. Narconon – which is billed as a drug treatment centre – has been condemned by health professionals globally, and Ballivor locals have expressed anger and upset at the buildings.
Ballivor resident Claire O’Mara says the centre is “not welcome,” adding that locals are doing “everything in our power” to stop the construction. There have also been calls for the government to intervene over the building of the centre.
A new school built to cater for 900 girls in Wexford may not open in time for the September term, as things remain in limbo after the collapse of Carillion Construction earlier this year.
The school has been told to prepare “contingency plans” in case it cannot re-open, despite the fact that the building is ready and “lying idle” according to Minister John Bruton. Loreto and four other schools in Carlow, Meath and Wicklow have been impacted by the collapse.
Hinkley Point C, a new power plant that’s being built on the west coast of England is causing concern this week, with Attracta Uí Broin of the Irish Environmental Network saying that Ireland’s situation would be “very serious” in the event of a meltdown.
Speaking to TDs and senators, Uí Broin said that the economic impact could be “in the order of €4 billion” and that there were no detailed plans in place to protect Irish people should an accident occur. The public consultation will continue until May 11.
Fancy saving for two (and a bit) decades to buy your first home? That’s the reality for some Dublin renters, as reported by Fiona Reddan in the Irish Times this week.
If a Dubliner is paying the average rent of €1,500 for a one-bed apartment, earning the average wage (€36,919 per year) and saving €127 per month, it will take them 21 years to buy a home at the average price (€325,671).
Larry Goodman, one of Ireland’s richest men, has big plans for Dublin city’s Setanta House, but Dublin City Council says it has “serious concerns” as to how the project would impact the surrounds.
The complex, which hasn’t been modernised since the 1970s, was bought for €85m in 2003, and Goodman intends to build an eight-story office block there. DCC, however, is worried that the block would “likely have a dominant and overbearing impact on adjacent properties and the immediate streetscape.”
And finally, this week’s property buzzword…
We’re breaking down the complicated world of property jargon, one buzzword at a time. This week, it’s oculus window, which can be found in this week’s Something Different property. Despite sounding like something from space, but it’s simply a small window that is circular or oval in shape.
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