Construction BUSINESS

Over 1,100 social housing units in Cork City are facing delays at various stages of the planning process, as highlighted in a recent social housing project status report from the Department of Housing. The report, covering September 2023, reveals that 1,182 planned homes in Cork City remained in the same planning stage as of January of that year.

Nearly half of these homes are actively under construction, but 25 projects have been stalled at the planning stage for nine months. The report outlines the status of various projects, indicating that 20 are on site, 14 are at the tender stage, three are in pre-tender, five are in the design phase, and three are in pre-planning. These projects include a mix of council and approved housing body construction, with a total of 569 homes currently being built.

The Department of Housing’s project tracker employs six stages to assess project progress, ranging from capital appraisal to pre-planning, pre-tender, final tender report, on-site, and completion.

A breakdown of the on-site projects reveals that over 100 homes are part of the Knocknaheeny regeneration, while another 112 are part of the Clúid scheme at Thomas Davis St in Blackpool, expected to be completed in the coming weeks.

The figures have raised concerns from a local TD about delays in the development process. The report highlights that more than 13,000 people were recorded as homeless in the Department of Housing’s recent emergency accommodation report. Data from property website Daft.ie also indicates a significant shortage of homes for sale in Ireland compared to pre-COVID levels.

The report notes that several approved projects in Cork City have been waiting for tenders or to commence construction, including nine homes on Glen Ryan Rd approved in Q2, 2019; 42 homes on Brocklesby St, Blackpool, and 16 homes on Blarney St approved in Q1, 2022; and 30 homes on Church Rd in Blackrock approved in Q2, 2022.

Sinn Féin TD Thomas Gould expressed concern over the pace of progress, emphasizing the housing crisis and stating that some projects have been stagnant since 2019. He pointed out that despite the ongoing delays, the number of individuals in emergency accommodation in Cork has not dropped below 500 adults, with over 200 children in the region staying in hotels and B&Bs.

In response to the concerns, the Department of Housing asserted that the construction status report indicates 9,782 social homes are currently on site, with an additional 13,822 homes at the design and tender stage. The department stated that Cork City is on track to meet its social housing targets and rejected claims by Mr. Gould that delays are due to a lack of staff and resources. The department cited challenges such as construction material costs, supply chain issues, interest rate movements, legal matters, project retendering, viability reviews, infrastructure challenges, planning revisions, and negotiations with housing bodies and developers as contributing factors to project delays.

Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien expressed confidence that the Housing For All target of 9,100 social homes would be achieved, citing a strong performance expected in the fourth quarter despite the construction report showing just over 4,000 social homes delivered as of last month.

Source – Paul Hosford, Irish Examiner