homes to deliver before year end. In 2019, a total of 22 CAS Acquisitions were completed with a number of Approved Housing Bodies including Circle Housing, Focus Housing Association and Galtan Housing Association. Long Term Leasing: 31 units have been delivered to date under the new delivery mechanism to meet housing need and targets laid out under Rebuilding Ireland. Cork City Council was the first Local Authority to complete delivery of units through this supply stream. Repair and Lease: 2 no. homes will be returned to use under the Repair and Lease Scheme for vacant properties in early 2020. The Council’s pilot project with Peter McVerry Trust is expected to deliver further homes in 2020. 2 no.homes have been delivered under Repair & Lease with Peter McVerry Trust and being tenanted. A further 4 no. proposals projects under the scheme are underway with further potential discussions being held with interested parties. Regeneration: The construction of Phase 2A (47 new homes) was recently officially opened by Lord Mayor, Councillor John Sheehan. Phase 2C (24 new homes) is due to be completed in 2020. Phases 1C & 2B, consisting of 79 new homes, are due to be tendered in August 2020. Phase 1D, consisting of 38 new homes on two sites, is being progressed by two different means i.e. approved housing body (AHB) developments of voluntary housing and affordable housing. The AHB development of 21 units commenced construction in November 2019. The affordable housing scheme, of 17 units, through O’Cualann Housing, now has planning permission in place and is due to commenc e on site in 2020. The designs for Phase 3B and Phase 4A, consisting of 105 new homes, are being progressed to Part 8. Acquisition: The acquisition of 63 homes was completed in 2019, including 12 homes acquired under the Buy and Renew Scheme and 9 homes through the Downsizing Scheme, to meet current social housing need. The City Council expects a reduced acquisition programme in 2020 as momentum increases in the Council’s Build Programme. Priority will be given to the acquisition of properties for Housing First purposes. Affordable Housing: A planning application was approved by Cork County Council for the construction of 143 units of accommodation at Boherboy Road, Mayfield. This scheme was appealed to An Bord Pleanála and planning permission has been received for 147 units. An application to the DHPLG Serviced Sites Fund 2018 has been approved. The procurement process for detailed design and construction of the scheme has been completed and construction commenced in November 2019. Adaptation Works: The City Council is currently progressing the construction of 32 disabled persons extensions to City Council social housing units at various locations throughout the City. Old Whitechurch Road – LIHAF funding has been secured for the delivery of infrastructure to facilitate the delivery of around 600 new homes on this site. Consultants for the design of the infrastructure for the site were appointed in November 2017. The Part 8 permission for the progression of the infrastructural works was approved by An Chomhairle in January 2019. An advance works contract commenced on site in December 2019 and was completed in March 2020. The main works commenced on site in March 2020 and are due to be completed by the end of 2020, although the project will be reviewed as a result of the works ceasing due to the Government’s Covid -19 restriction. The works recommenced in May 2020 (as per the Government’s roadmap for phased reopening). In November 2018, Cork City Council won a Chambers Ireland Excellence Award in the Local Authority Innovation category for the Bishopsgrove Project, marking the second year running that the Housing Directorate has won in this category, having last year achieved the honour for its work on the Competitive Dialogue procurement process. Managed by Cork Foyer Project, Bishopsgrove Supported Student Accommodation, comprising of 39 modern and secure purpose-built accommodation bed spaces, located close to Cork Institute of Technology accepted its first students in June 2017, and acts as a sister project to the Cork Foyer, allowing young people who have progressed well in a homeless service to escape the cycle of homelessness through third level education. The collaborative project between Cork Foyer, TUSLA and Focus Ireland is the first model of its kind in the state.
Covid-19 Effects:
Members will be aware that as and from 27 th March 2020, non-essential construction sites were shut-down due to increased restrictions in response to Covid-19. This has resulted in delays to the progression of the capital programme. An order issued by the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, has also led to the extension of timelines for Planning matters which also applies to Part 8 planning applications which were going through public consultation. Four essential social housing projects were allowed to re-commence construction in April 2020, with the remainder of sites in construction recommencing in May.
3
Powered by FlippingBook