FAIRFIELD PARK NOT FOR SALE – COUNCIL
GREYSTONES MEMBERS SEEK MEETING WITH HOUSING STAFF
approach and that a support worker is being designated to work with residents over the coming year.
The support worker will ascertain the residents’ eligibility for social housing supports and will advise and support them with progressing to alternative accommodation, either in the private rented market or otherwise.
It is intended to pilot the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) for this project. HAP will come into effect at Wicklow County Council in December
Members previously heard at Wicklow County Council on September 5 that the one acre of land next to Fairfield Park is under offer, and they are not accepting any more bids. Members heard last Tuesday that this is still the case.
Cllr Whitmore said that if there is a way of making the site not landlocked with access, it would be worth more.
‘We need advice from the planning section and need to look at other counties,’ she said.
District Manager Michael Nicholson said that this is the perfect model for HAP to begin with. He said that the council would become the landlord and that the scheme is similar to RAS.
Cllr Nicola Lawless said that it’s still private rental with no security. She said that it is short term and artificially taking people off the housing list as they are deemed to be housed.
Cllr Grainne McLoughlin said that there is an insufficient supply of rental accommodation.
Cllr Tom Fortune said that it is frustrating at the district meetings not to have senior people present. ‘ There is no obligation on other directors in the council to come and inform us properly,’ he said.
‘We should ask someone from housing to come and talk to us,’ said Cllr Jennifer Whitmore. ‘At the moment all we are being told is that they are being given a case worker.’
The members agreed to arrange a meeting to that end at County Buildings in Wicklow during the day. The next meeting of the women’s charity collective ‘100 Women North Wicklow/South Dublin’ will take place at Fitzpatrick Hotel, Killiney, on Tuesday, October 25, at 8 p.m.
At quarterly meetings, the women pool their donations and choose a single recognised charity or non-profit in their local community. Both Five Loaves and Open Door in Bray have been the beneficiary of this group’s collective donation so far.
Individual members nominate the charities. Three names are picked out of a hat, and they pitch their charity. The group then votes. They hand over the cheque or postal money order made out in the name of the charity chosen that quarter.