€8.8M in new social houses
Three new social housing developments, with a combined investment of €8.8M and comprising 41 units between them, were officially opened on Monday of this week. Those attending the ribbon cutting ceremonies were informed of an added spin-off benefit - their construction and finishing supported the employment of dozens of people locally.
Three local development companies oversaw the development of 20 units (€4.3m) as part of phases one and two at Black Ridge in Ballyconnell (Peadar, Andrew and Paul Fay); 15 units (€3.3m) at Flemings Place, Ballinagh (Jimmy, Leigh and Kevin Jackson, Sandar), and six (€1.2m) units at Eanach Lao, Butlersbridge (Crosserlough Construction Ltd).
On top of that JJ McCauley Construction Ltd from Kill, the company tasked with overseeing the major refurbishment and conservation works at Cavan’s Townhall, also signed an €800,000 contract to deliver three self-contained apartments as part of the redevelopment of Belturbet’s former Duckin’ Stool pub.
Their appointments, the knock-on effect to the local economy, and the quality of work delivered upon, were lauded at the June monthly meeting of elected members.
Fine Gael’s TP O’Reilly described the standard as “second to none”.
He further noted that the local authority would often “come in for stick” when pressed by members of the public “over ‘who did that work?’ or ‘contractors from up North’”.
But he said he was delighted to be able to stand by the executive’s awarding of tenders. “It’s all local men doing work in the community,” he added.
His comments were supported by the outgoing Leas Cathaoirleach, Fianna Fáil’s Patricia Walsh.
In the case of Black Ridge in Ballyconnell, work began in May 2021 and was completed in November 2022. Flemings Place in Ballinagh began in February 2021 and was completed in December 2022, and Eanach Lao in Butlerbridge started in January 2021 and was completed in July 2022.
Like the contractors, the design for the individual projects was handled locally by Wynne, Gormley, Gilsenan Architects (Black Ridge, Flemings Place, Duckin’ Stool), and by Michael Fitzpatrick’s Architects (Eanach Lao).
Michael Fitzpatrick’s Architects also oversaw the design of a new 20 unit housing development at St Brigid’s Terrace, contracts for which are expected to be signed next Monday, June 19.
The work will involve the demolition of eight dwellings - two detached dwellings and numbers 1-6 St Brigid’s Terrace - to make way for two three-storey split level housing blocks.
Block ‘A’ will contain six one-bed apartments over six two-bed duplex apartments facing onto St Brigid’s Terrace.
Block ‘B’ meanwhile will contain four two-bed duplex apartments over four one-bed apartments facing out onto James Connolly Road/ Dublin Road (R212).
It is one of several significant housing projects being pushed forward by the council as they look to reach the ambitious target of completing 490 new builds over the lifetime of the Government’s ‘Housing for All’ plan, up to 2030.
Tenders are due to be issued in respect of 45 units at Pairc na Teile at Beckscourt in Bailieborough; while 11 units in the Ashgrove Estate in Ballyjamesduff, and eight more at Portaliffe in Killeshandra are progressing through the design phases.
Planning permission, meanwhile, was granted to demolish six existing single-storey dwellings to make way for nine fully-serviced dwelling units at Widow’s Row, Belturbet.
Work on three more new units at Kingscourt is nearing completion, while close to a dozen residential properties at Elm Grove in Cavan Town are expected to be ready to move into before the year end.
In addition, the council returned 53 vacant homes to use in 2022 through an investment of almost €600,000 under the Voids Programme.
There are close to 1,000 people on the local authority’s social housing list at present, with more than half of those on rental schemes such as Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) or the Rent Assistance Scheme (RAS).