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. Regeneration: Phase 2C (24 new homes) is due to complete in 2021. Phases 1C & 2B, consisting of 79 new homes, are due to be tendered in the first quarter of 2021 and commence on site by mid 2021. Phase 1D east (17 units) and phase 1D west (21 units) 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 Phase 1D West 21 units commenced construction in November 2019 and 7 units have been delivered. The affordable housing scheme, of 17 units, through O Cualann Housing, has planning permission in place and the works due to be tendered in mid 2021 and to commence on site in quarter 4 of 2021. The design of Phase 3B, consisting of 62 new homes, and Phase 4B, consisting of 43 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 DHLGH 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 in early 2021. 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.
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