The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
Councillor Paul Murphy put forward a motion looking for information on an assessment carried out by the Department of the Environment on such estates in the county.
He also asked how much of a €5m fund to assist local authorities had been applied for, or drawn down by Clare County Council.
In his response, director of services Ger Dollard stated, “Clare County Council assisted the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government in carrying out a National Housing Survey on unfinished estates in the summer of 2012. The survey was a follow-up on the housing survey that was carried out in 2010. The 2010 survey was to ascertain the number of housing developments, which had been commenced but had not been fully completed as a result of the prolonged economic downturn. The survey did not include all completed housing developments with outstanding taking in charge or maintenance issues.
“Clare County Council has 63 unfinished housing estates on the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government’s list of unfinished housing estates. The National Housing Development Survey of 2012 generally tracks progress on housing developments included in previous surveys.
“The list of 63 unfinished estates includes sites where there were one or more phases in a development that has not been completed and no work has commenced on the remainder. Also included in the list is a number of holiday home developments that contained elements of residential/commercial.”
Mr Dollard’s report also gave information on funding sought and received. It stated that funding was sought for six unfinished estates. A sum of €34,247.36 was provided for just one estate, Chúirt an Droichead in Sixmilebridge.
Chúirt an Droichead was an estate where the developer or site owner wasn’t contactable and where no receiver was appointed. It also had planning, building control compliance or public safety issues to be addressed.
