6 days ago
Tipperary property will not become IPAS centre despite change of use application
A Section 5 planning exemption has been submitted to Tipperary County Council for a property on the Old Road in Cashel, with rumours spreading on social media that the property is to be used as accommodation for International Protection Applicants.
Taking to his own social media page, Cashel councillor Liam Browne has moved to clarify that there are no plans to build or develop an IPAS centre at the Old Road property.
"The application is seeking to change the use of an existing residential house, to a residential care facility. Nothing new will be built on the site, without a full planning application,' Cllr Browne outlined.
The change of use application states that the applicants are applying for 'a declaration of exempted development … regarding the change of use from residential to provide a residential care facility for children at risk, including those with learning difficulties.'
"The number of residents will not exceed six, and the number of carers will not exceed two,' the planning file states.
'The new owners of the building, are a company called Odyssey Social Care. They provide care to children with physical, mental and learning disabilities," Mr Browne added.
"The current proposal is to provide such care at the property. The occupants would only be children, ie, under 18, and the maximum number of children would be 6, with 2 carers".
Tipperary County Council have written to the applicants to ensure that only children with disabilities will be housed at the site, and not anyone else.
Odyssey Social Care do provide care for unaccompanied minors within the International Protection system, but it is not thought that the Cashel site would be used for this purpose, Cllr Browne added.
