Over 200 homes planned for Tullamore

A plan for 202 homes costing in the region of €50 million is the brainchild of brothers Leslie and Raymond Codd from Tullow.

The Carlow brothers plan to build two new estates, Arden Woods and Silverbrook on a green field site off the Arden Road.

The houses will be constructed on a farm beside the Eiscir Measows estate and the existing farm buildings will be demolished. Leslie Codd says he intends to build high quality houses that are affordable for the Tullamore market and first time buyers.

'They will be modern open-plan design and much larger than any of the homes built back in the boom times,' he told the Offaly Independent this week.

'Our own gut feeling is that there is not enough supply out there to meet demand, people are renting and paying €900 on rent when they could own their own home for much less than that.

'No one has built an estate in the last ten years, and there are families developing and growing and more jobs out there now, so we feel there is demand for good quality housing.'

Mr Codd said he and his brother chose Tullamore to develop because it is one of the better provincial towns.

'I always thought Tullamore was a very good town economically, and not as reliant on Dublin as other Midland towns might be. It is very well located and well serviced with motorways to the west and north, as well as the east.'

Codd Property Holdings have just lodged an application for planning but are optimistic that if they get the green light, construction can begin later this year.

Generously sized, the project includes 158 three-bedroom semi-detached of 1,300sq ft each. There will also be 16 four-bedroom semi-detached houses, eight four-bed semi-detached dwellings, eight three-bed terraced homes and 12 two-bedroomed terraced units.

Some of the houses will have options for a solar panel on the roof and the addition of an attic bedroom. The plan also includes a crèche for up to 58 children and it will have 30 car parking spaces.

'They will be economically priced, in the region of €250,000. Some will be lower than that, some higher, so anyone on a wage will be able to afford them. They will be affordable to everybody and they will be built to a high specification.'