Low Number Of Vacant Homes In South Cork
Writes Leo McMahon
At 58, the number of vacant dwellings in South Cork out of a total County Council stock of 3,456 represented only 1.7% and was the lowest for many years, members of the county council’s Southern Committee were told at their recent meeting.
They were also told that up to the end of December, 93.7% of rents were collected representing a revenue of over €9.4 million.
Councillors complimented director of services Maurice Manning and staff on a comprehensive and progressive report on housing services.
Among schemes at the design stage are: Kilnagleary, Carrigaline, phases 2 and 3 (38 dwellings); phase 4 (15). At the construction stage is Kilnagleary phase 1 (49), costing just over €14m of which 15 have been completed.
Approval for phases 2 and 3 costing €9.8m was received last June and options were being considered to improve tenure in the mix while phase 4, estimated to cost €4m, awaited a response from the Department of Housing.
There were ‘Part V’ of the Planning Act acquisitions for six council dwellings in the private estate Weston, Carrigaline and the council acquired a dwelling at Ros na Greine, Carrigaline in 2018.
In Carrigaline-Ballincollig Municipal District (MD), 156 units were leased and 37 in Kinsale-Bandon MD. Dwellings included Weston (7) and Rosehill (1) Carrigaline and Pembroke Grove, Passage West (1).
Of 3,456 council homes in South Cork, said Mr Manning, only 58 (1.7%) were vacant up to mid January and the waiting times were reducing under a new policy introduced in 2018. Of that total, nine were under repair, three had tenants being selected, 35 were due for tendering and 11 were under offer for tenancy. There were 24 long term voids and 34 casual vacancies. Energy efficiency works were carried out in 530 council units in South Cork last year.
The director stressed that the housing directorate was working closely with MDs to identify key strategic properties which may be suitable for acquisition under the Buy and Renew Scheme. He told Cllr Seamus McGrath (FF) that five council owned sites were identified for possible Affordable Housing schemes and submitted to the Dept of Housing. It was also trying to use the Serviced Sites Fund towards infrastructure for this on council owned land.
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