THE completion of 30 residential units under social housing developments in County Clare alongside 163 additional units currently under construction will provide “badly needed homes for the people of Clare.”
That’s according to Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Councillor Mary Howard who welcomed the developments adding, “It is essential that Clare County Council continues to build homes as part of our plans to address our social housing requirements, and to continue to do this in a planned and strategic way.”
The completed units are located in Quilty, Kilmihil, Sixmilebridge and Roslevan. Construction on a new development of 18 units at An Cladach, Quilty West, Quilty, commenced on April 25, 2019, and was handed over to Clare County Council on December 18, 2020. This development was constructed by Martins Construction Ltd and comprises a mix of two, three and four-bedroom single and two-storey semi-detached houses. These residential units were constructed to a high standard and achieved Building Energy Ratings (BERs) of A2 and A3.
A further two units were recently completed at a new development at St Michael’s Place, Kilmihil. The development was constructed by Custy Construction Ltd. Construction commenced on February 3, 2020, and was handed over to Clare County Council on December 11, 2020. This development saw the construction of two three-bed two-storey semi-detached residential units with a BER of A2.
Cappagh Lodge, Sixmilebridge, saw the completion of a further two units. The development was constructed by Custy Construction Ltd, with construction commencing on February 3, 2020, and handed over to Clare County Council on December 2, 2020. The scheme comprises two three-bed two-storey semi-detached residential units constructed to a high standard and achieving a BER of A2.
The remaining eight units were completed in Roslevan, Ennis, earlier this year.
There are 163 units currently under construction by Clare County Council in the county. Fifty-one of these units are under construction in Shannon, under the Shannon Public Private Partnership Scheme. A further 40 units are under construction in Ashline, Ennis.
The remaining 72 units are under construction as follows: Newmarket-on-Fergus – 18 units; Miltown Malbay – 27 units; Tulla – 25 units; Doonbeg – 2 units.
Anne Haugh, Director of Services, Social Development, Clare County Council, said, “Clare County Council’s objective is to enhance the quality of life for the people of County Clare through the provision of appropriate housing supports to those in need. We are focused on developing accommodation projects appropriate to identified need across the range of delivery streams, working with approved housing bodies and agencies to maximise use of available accommodation options and associated funding, and implementing an appropriate land acquisition strategy to facilitate existing and future construction programme needs.”
The units at Quilty, Kilmihil, Sixmilebridge and Roslevan were funded by the Irish Government under the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness.
The Housing Department of Clare County Council continues to develop a pipeline of new build social homes, which currently comprises a further 78 units at various stages of design and as approved by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.