News

Housing body to build 40 new social houses on Kinsale site

August 19th, 2016 11:50 AM

By Southern Star Team

The (large green) site for the new Clúid Housing development in Kinsale is across from the Community School.

Share this article

Councillors have welcomed the announcement that the Clúid Housing Association is to build a housing development comprising 40 houses on Council-owned land at Commogue, Kinsale. 

By Kieran O’Mahony

COUNCILLORS have welcomed the announcement that the Clúid Housing Association is to build a housing development comprising 40 houses on Council-owned land at Commogue, Kinsale. 

Members of Clúid Housing Association attended a recent meeting of Bandon Kinsale Municipal District in Bandon where they outlined the plans to councillors. 

They were told a public consultation will take place shortly and the public will be able to have their say on the development.

It is envisaged that work on the development will commence next summer, following a tendering process, on a site opposite the entrance to Kinsale Community School.

The Council-owned site will be transferred to Clúid by way of a Section 183 to enable the organisation to secure finance for the completion of the scheme and will then make the houses available to Cork County Council for social housing, under a Payment and Availability Agreement. 

The proposed scheme, which secured planning permission in 2006, will include 40 units of accommodation including 21 three-bed houses, 17 two-bed houses and two three-bed bungalows. The houses will also be constructed to a high level of energy efficiency.

Cllr Alan Coleman (Ind) said he was delighted that they are making a start on this development as he said that as an organisation, Clúid has a good reputation for housing and managing estates.

Cllr Kevin Murphy (FG) said he was delighted to see it finally happening as the plans had been shelved on numerous occasions before, and he questioned the timeframe of the project and whether it could be brought forward.

‘This development is one of the most scenic sites in the town and we urgently need to get the project off the ground as people are crying out for housing at the moment, and I won’t rest until I see this development completed,’ said Cllr Murphy.

Housing officer for Cork County Council, Keith Jones said that in reality they were bound by procedures.

‘It’s only two months since we sat down with Clúid and in fairness we’ve come this far already,’ said Mr Jones.

While Cllr Murphy said the mix of housing is good, the only problem was the lack of single developments.

‘There are lots of single individual males who are not getting accommodation, and we have to look at single male dwellings too,’ said Cllr Murphy.

John O’Sullivan, housing manager with Clúid, said they want to make a vibrant community there for the future with all the tenant nominations coming from Cork County Council. Prospective tenants would also be garda-vetted and affordable rents will be made available on a means-test basis.

Council executive engineer for Kinsale, Brendan Fehily, said that they would have to get the design right ‘as lots of mistakes were made during the Celtic Tiger era.’

Share this article