Leitrim County Council signals openness to developing a retirement village

A motion to explore the development of a retirement village in Leitrim received unanimous backing at Monday’s meeting of Leitrim County Council.

The proposal, driven by concerns about the county’s ageing population and the potential to free up existing housing stock, was met with broad support.

Cllr Paddy Farrell introduced the motion, asking whether the Council had any plans or interest in establishing a retirement village within any of the municipal districts.

“It has worked well in other parts of the country,” said Cllr Farrell. 

He pointed out that many single or elderly couples are living in large homes, and a retirement village could offer them a more social living environment. He added that such a development could also ease pressure on hospitals and “free up a lot of badly needed houses.”

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Cllr Maeve Reynolds highlighted the issue of social isolation among older people, particularly during long winters and severe storms. She said that moving into a more community-oriented setting like a retirement village would be “brilliant,” if they wanted to avail of the option. 

“We need to be thinking outside the box here,” remarked Cllr Justin Warnock. He noted that many people living abroad might welcome the opportunity to retire in Leitrim.

Responding to the motion, Mary Quinn, Director of Services for Housing, stated that the County Development Plan supports providing a range of housing types to offer older people more choices. It also encourages private developers to incorporate universal design principles – creating homes that are accessible to all, including older adults and people with disabilities.

Her response further noted that, “Retirement Villages are also ‘Open for Consideration’ on lands with Town Centre and Social and Community land use zoning objectives.”

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Cllr Felim Gurn suggested the idea of locating retirement villages in each municipal area, observing, “We haven’t built enough bungalow-type houses, and that’s what we need to cater to this.”

Cllr Cormac Flynn added, “People are living longer and we have an ageing population, it’s something that’s going to be very pertinent.”