12 April 2018
By Bryan Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
Minister for Housing & Urban Development at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, Damien English, T.D. officially opened 52 new homes in two phases of Cork City Council’s North West Quarter Regeneration Plan at 2pm on Thursday.
The new townhouses & apartments, consisting of two and three bedroom homes, are all of ‘A’ energy rating and have replaced existing housing in the area. Features include solar panels to reduce energy bills.
Residents moved into these homes in the past 19 months.
• 23 new homes were built by Deermount Construction as part of the €4.3 million phase 1(a).
• Another 29 homes were also developed by Deermount Construction as part of the €6.3 million phase 1(b).
Minister English also turned the sod on a third phase of the CNWQR Plan which will see another 47 new homes built in the Knocknaheeny area. Phase 2(a) will see 47 new homes built by Murnane and O’Shea in a €11.8 million scheme.
Minister English congratulated everyone involved in bringing the proposal to this stage and he wished the future residents of this housing development long and happy lives at the new developments.
Lady Mayoress Georgina Fitzgerald, Minister for Housing & Urban Development at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, Damien English, T.D., Lord Mayor Cllr Tony Fitzgerald, Ann Doherty, CEO Cork City Council, Senator Colm Burke with Murnane and O’Shea, during the Sod Turning. Picture: Jim Coughlan.
Minister for Housing & Urban Development at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, Damien English, T.D., Johnny O’Shea, in his new house on Killary Green, Lord Mayor Cllr Tony Fitzgerald and Lady Mayoress Georgina Fitzgerald. Picture: Jim Coughlan.
Prior to their visit to the Cork City Council’s North West Quarter Regeneration Plan, Lord Mayor Cllr Tony Fitzgerald with Minister for Housing & Urban Development at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, Damien English, T.D., at City Hall. Picture: Jim Coughlan.
Jessica Tobin and Noreen O’Sullivan, Kilmore Road residents with Minister for Housing & Urban Development at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, Damien English, T.D. and Lord Mayor Cllr Tony Fitzgerald. Picture: Jim Coughlan.
Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Tony Fitzgerald added: “I could not be prouder to see the vision behind the North West Quarter Plan come to life. Cork City Council has worked hard to create better homes, enhance social & economic opportunities, improve transport links, create better & safer streets, squares & parks for the families living in the North West of the city”.
Cork City Council CE, Ann Doherty said: “It is fantastic to see these homes being officially launched today. The Cork North West Quarter Regeneration Plan is a making a real difference to the quality of lives of families in Knocknaheeny and to the wider community and will continue to do so as the rest of the planned homes are developed”.
Cork City Council Director of Housing, Valerie O’Sullivan said: “The clue to regeneration is in the title – it takes a generation. But when you see what can be done, what has been done, you know it’s worth the work and the wait. More than building new houses, my team is proud of enhancing the area and the community. The quality of the houses speaks for itself. We remain committed to seeing regeneration through, when 650 new homes will have been provided in the north-west of the city to people who are proud of their area, and deserve them”.
Cork City Council has Stage 1 funding approval from the Department of Housing for another 104 houses in Phases 1C, 2B and 2C of the CNWQR Plan– schemes which are worth a total of €27.9 million. The Department & Cork City Council are progressing plans to advertise these schemes for Part 8 in the coming weeks.
Notes
A total of 650 homes are to be provided in accordance with the CNWQR Plan. As part of the plan, a new primary care centre provided by the HSE is nearing completion on the nearby Saint Mary’s Campus and Cork City Council has also provided a new library.
Across the city, Cork City Council will provide over 400 new homes in 2018 through new construction, acquisitions, Approved Housing Body (AHB) delivery, return of vacant properties & leasing initiatives.
A total of 1,364 units were delivered for the period 2015 – 2017 using all these delivery mechanisms.
Cork City Council has been set a target by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government of 2,230 homes to be delivered for the period 2017 – 2021. There are currently 361 social housing units under construction across the City.
