Buying houses proving to be a ‘challenge’ for Co Council

THE increasing gap between the growing population of Cork and the number of vacant houses available on the market is making it more difficult for Cork County Council to secure properties for people on its housing list.

A housing profile report issued to county councillors at the June meeting of the authority’s northern area committee revealed the population of the county had increased by almost 17,000 between 2011 and 2016 – a jump of 4.2%.

However, the total housing stock across the county had only increased by 1.32% from 172,764 to 175,046 over the same period.

The figures, drawn from last year’s census results, also showed that the number of vacant houses and apartments across the county had dropped by almost 14% from 27,161 to 23,852 over the five years to 2016.

The council’s acting director of housing, Padraig Barrett, said the figures highlighted the problems faced by the authority in tackling its lengthening social housing list.

However, Mr Barrett insisted the council was “slightly ahead” of its target to build 1,217 new houses in the county between 2015 and 2017, with the authority set to spend more than €20.5 million this year alone delivering 507 new units across the county.

Projects at the preliminary stage across north and mid- Cork include six units at Beechfield in Fermoy, 57 units at Poulavane in Ballkincollig, 16 units at Station Rd in Blarney and 31 units in Macroom.

Another 16 units at Bluepool in Kanturk, nine units at Brigown Rd and Stag park in Mitchelstown and seven units at Masseytown in Macroom are at the design stage.

A part 8 planning application for a further 46 units at Duntahane in Fermoy, which will be built in association with the Respond! Housing agency, has also been recently approved.

In addition the council expects to move forward this year with a 34 unit development at Powdermills in Ballincollig, 52 units at Crann Ard and 2 units at Clondulane in Fermoy, 25 units in Kanturk and six in Millstreet.

The council also finalised seven single house purchases in 2017 across the region, with a further five expected to close before the end of the year.

Mr Barrett said the council had “an ambitious” acquisition programme, with a total of 119 units proposed to be acquired throughout the county by the end of this year.

However, he conceded that the lack of movement in the second-hand market did mean the authority might struggle to meet that target.

“Unfortunately, there is a very low turn over of second hand properties at the moment. From Cork County Council’s point of view there is also a low turnover of suitable properties in locations where we look to buy them. So we are facing a challenge to meet that target of 119 acquisitions for the year,” he said.

The report also showed that the council owns a total of 2,339 housing units in north Cork, 66 (or 2.8%) of which are currently vacant as they are being upgraded for re-letting to new tenants.

Meanwhile, the council has unveiled plans to upgrade 46 houses within the Kanturk/Mallow district under the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland’s Better Energy Communities programme.

The pilot project, which will cost in the region of €1.4 million, will entail the provision of external wall insulation & ventilation improvements, the provision of air to pump based heating systems, window and door upgrades, the provision of space heating stoves and the installation low energy light bulbs.