Kildare residents are up in arms over plans to build homes on their green area

Residents living in a long established housing area are opposing plans by Kildare County Council to provide additional homes there.

Seven new homes are to be provided in the Sarto area of Naas.

According to Kildare County Council, it has  received approval for funding from the Department of Housing for the homes (three two-bedroom houses and four one-bedroom apartments) and a public consultation process will take place by June 2026.

KCC also said there are 5 units on Sarto Road “currently at different stages of refurbishment (with) all works are due to complete in the coming months.”

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However, residents' representative Ray O’Byrne said the homes will be provided “on a green area” which could otherwise be restored as a green area.

Mr O’Byrne said that up to now there has been no consultation or engagement with the residents of Sarto Road, and “instead (there was a newspaper report) stating how the council are now going to take away our green space and put housing on it.”

He added that the houses that previously existed nearby “subsided and had to be demolished.”

He said some residents had claimed that “serious issues occurred during attempts to stabilise the ground.”

He added people living there, some of whom are elderly and with health concerns “are extremely anxious that building on this land will undermine the stability of their own homes. 

He said residents have so far been unsuccessful in efforts to secure a meeting with KCC to talk about their concerns.

Mr O’Byrne said the need for housing is fully understood but “it should not come at the cost of residents' safety or by eliminating the only green space available to this community.”

He added that because of feared “ground stability issues” there is a need for the proposal to be investigated.

He also said there is a shortage of parking spaces and any new development could compound this problem.

Mr O’Byrne further claimed that KCC had previously indicated that the area would be restored and trees planted for the residents. 

“The residents of Sarto Road are simply seeking clarity, accountability, and a voice in decisions that directly affect our homes and wellbeing.” 

He added; “All that we hear from local councillors is ‘not one councillor will vote against any housing development’. So in other words and despite the objections and concerns of residents it is a foregone conclusion with a predetermined outcome.”