Green light for new Omagh houses despite objection from NI Water

A NEW housing development on Arleston Road, near its junction with Cookstown Road in Omagh, has been approved despite an objection from NI Water.

Fermanagh and Omagh District Council granted planning permission for the 16-home development by Struleview Homes Ltd during a meeting last Wednesday.

NI Water had recommended refusing the application due to ‘network capacity issues’, warning of potential environmental risks and impacts on existing properties.

“This establishes significant risks of detrimental effect to the environment and detrimental impact on existing properties,” NI Water stated. “For this reason, NI Water is recommending connections to the public sewer system are curtailed.”

At the meeting, Cllr Robert Irvine insisted that the council was within its rights to approve the application. Sinn Féin councillors raised concerns about the wider issue of wastewater treatment limitations.

“This is a huge concern for us,” one councillor said. “The problem of wastewater treatment works is going to reoccur in the future, and we are already seeing the impact on business and infrastructure in our area.”

Councillors called on NI Water to ‘fight their battle’ to get the waste-water infrastructure up to the required standard. Cllr Thomas O’Reilly added, “It is dismaying that Omagh is now facing the same restrictions that smaller towns and villages have dealt with for years. This certainly doesn’t bode well for sustaining rural populations and businesses. It’s clear we need an upgrade to our treatment plants.”

The council will now write to NI Water, urging action to upgrade wastewater infrastructure to support future growth in the area.