Major new housing plans for Mallow, Clonakilty, Carrigaline and Kinsale
Council Aside To Houses Is Money Make Energy More Older All Efficient Set Also Being
Cork County Council, in conjunction with voluntary housing bodies, expects to build up to 700 new homes in the county this year.
It is part of the local authority’s capital investment plan, which will see €927m spent primarily on the construction of social and affordable housing between 2024 and 2026.
For 2024, the council has set aside €268m for house construction. This will be increased to €351m in 2025 and a further €307m will be ploughed into building homes in 2026.
While it is dependent on a lot of funding coming from national Government it is expected this will be forthcoming in an effort to address the current countrywide housing crisis.
Maurice Manning, head of the council’s housing directorate, said in 2024 it is hoped the council will itself provide 500 homes, and a further 200 in conjunction with the approved voluntary housing bodies.
While there will be nearly 20 substantial social housing schemes constructed in several areas throughout the county, the council also intends to construct major ‘affordable’ homes scheme in larger towns.
These are primarily designed for people who are caught in a limbo because they earn too much to qualify for social housing but too little to get a mortgage from a financial institution.
Mr Manning said demand had been identified for affordable housing schemes in a number of towns. The successful occupiers get the house at a discounted rate compared to the normal market price.
Two of these schemes, of 134 and 95 houses, are to be progressed in Mallow. Clonakilty will also get two totalling 67 houses and Carrigaline has two projects earmarked, with 88 homes in total.
In addition, in one-off schemes, Kinsale is to get 112, Youghal 24, Bantry 22, Midleton 23, Cobh 49 and Fermoy 20.
Social housing schemes are more widespread and while they encompass similar larger towns, they also include the smaller ones and several villages.
The council has identified the need for a number of projects in more rural areas including Crosshaven (31), Coachford (26), Courtmacsherry (17), Killavullen (13), Newmarket (11), Glanworth (13) and seven in Kilworth.
Mr Manning said the spread of both social and affordable schemes planned by the local authority is based on surveys it had undertaken and was therefore demand-driven.
In addition, money is being set aside in the capital project’s lifetime to make all older council houses more energy-efficient.
This will include upgrading doors and windows, along with creating better insulation and heating systems.
Further money is being set aside for improving accommodation for members of the Travelling Community.
“For the last few years, the focus [of the council] has been on social housing. Now there is a greater emphasis on delivering affordable housing. These houses will be built on our own land and the main projects will be in cooperation with developers,” Mr Manning said.
These are known as “turnkey projects”, whereby the council agrees with private developers to build properties and then takes them over when they are finished.
Similar "turnkey" arrangements are being made between the local authority and developers for a lot of social housing schemes.
It is envisaged that 92% of all the money required by the council for its 2024–2026 housing plans will be funded by central Government grants, with the remainder coming from its own resources.