asked the Minister for Local Government if, having regard to his letter of the 12th January, 1967 to Laois County Council requesting that certain revision should be made in the draft plans for the erection of six houses in Clonaslee, County Laois, he will state the reason for such revision which has caused unnecessary delay; and if he will now give his complete approval to Laois County Council to go ahead with this work.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Laois-Offaly Housing.
54.
The council were asked to revise the plans for the scheme because their proposal for six rural cottages at the entrance to the village of Clonaslee was unacceptable on the following grounds:
1. From a planning viewpoint the erection of detached rural type cottages immediately adjoining terraced development in the village street is undesirable.
2. The layout proposed by the council would leave the backs of six cottages exposed to the main entrance to the village from Mountmellick.
3. The use of the site for detached rural cottages would be wasteful. Terraced type houses would enable savings to be made in the cost of development and more houses to be provided on the site.
I do not accept that there has been unnecessary delay in dealing with the proposal. There should be no further difficulty in getting ahead with the scheme on the basis of the revisions to the plans which were discussed last December with the Council's technical advisers.