WORK ON NEW SOCIAL HOUSES STALLS
MACHINES REMOVED FROM KILBRIDE LANE PROJECT SITE
CONSTRUCTION work has ground to a halt at a social housing development in at Kilbride Lane in Bray, five months after the sod was turned.
According to TD John Brady, developer MDY Construction has ‘encountered financial difficulties’, which has resulted in work ceasing.
Early this week, the developer’s signage was removed from the hoarding.
The site has been completely cleared of any activities. All machinery has been removed and work is at a complete stop.
The 42 units at the Kilbride Lane site were due to be finished by the end of next year.
WORKS have ground to a halt at a social housing development in Bray, five months after the sod was turned.
According to Deputy John Brady, Naas-based developers MDY construction have ‘encountered financial difficulties’ which have resulted in work ceasing at the site. Early this week, the developer’s signage had been removed from the hoarding.
The site has been completely cleared of any activities. All machinery has been removed and work is at a complete stop.
The 42 units at the Kilbride Lane site were due to be finished by the end of next year
‘It is hoped that the cessation is only a temporary one and all issues will be resolved swiftly and that work can recommence in a week or two,’ said Deputy Brady.
This comes more than a decade after the council acquired the ‘Murphy’s Land’ site by CPO for €6.1 million.
Work began on the €14.7 million project last April with an expected completion date of November 2019.
There was no answer from MDY’s office this week and a page on their website referring to the Kilbride Lane project has been removed.
MDY Managing Director Mel O’Reilly told RTÉ News last Friday that while the company is trying to resolve issues, it may not be able to do so. Subcontrac- tors have exited at least one other site operated by MDY, in County Kildare.
Deputy Brady met a group of subcontractors on Tuesday morning. whom he said are owed ‘considerable amounts of money’. He said that there is a fear that they will be left out of pocket. ‘ There have been too many delays with this site and any further delays will only compound the housing crisis. We need work to restart as quickly as possible and ensure all subcontractors and suppliers are paid any money owed,’ said Deputy Brady.
As far back as March 2016, members of Wicklow County Council were told that the keys to the new units at Kilbride Lane would be handed over in April 2018.
When the project was first announced in July 2015, officials at Wicklow County Council hoped to have it complete by 2017. On several occasions in the intervening years, answering questions put by elected council members, officials said that the delays originated within the Department of Housing.
The development is to consist of seven one-bed apartments, three onebed accessible units for people with disabilities, four two-bed apartments, 20 two-bed two-storey houses, five three-bed two-storey houses and one four-bed three-storey house.
A spokesman for Wicklow County Council said ‘it is premature to comment on this situation at this time.’