Council in Louth reject attic conversion proposals as ‘not practical’
Louth County Council has ruled out the prospect of using attic conversions to ease overcrowding in social housing, saying such an approach is “neither practical nor implementable.”
Cllr. Fiona Mhic Conchoille tabled a motion at the recent council meeting highlighting the impact overcrowding is having on families across the county.
She said the council, “recognising housing as a social and human right, acknowledges the ongoing issue of overcrowding within the local authority housing stock and the negative impact this is having on family wellbeing, children’s development and community stability.”
Cllr. Mhic Conchoille called on the council to examine the feasibility of converting attics in suitable council-owned homes to create additional bedrooms for families who wish to remain in their homes. She said any assessment should include structural suitability, full compliance with fire safety, building regulations and housing standards, as well as a detailed cost analysis.
The councillor noted that attic conversions typically cost between €30,000 and €50,000 per property—significantly lower than the estimated €350,000 needed to deliver a new-build social home. She urged the council to consider the potential benefits of such a programme, including easing pressure on housing transfer lists, preventing family displacement, and making better use of existing housing stock by allowing three‑bed homes to function as four‑bed units where appropriate.
Responding, Ger Murphy, Director of Services for Housing, acknowledged that overcrowding does occur within the council’s housing stock. He said the housing section works with affected households through transfer arrangements, adding that the allocations scheme allows for 10% of available dwellings to be set aside for transfer applications “in so far as is practicable.”
However, Mr Murphy said that attic conversions could not be considered a realistic solution. “While I acknowledge the sentiment of the motion, attic conversions are neither a practical nor implementable solution,” he said, citing fire safety and building regulation constraints as well as housing and planning standards.
He also emphasised that “no such funding stream or other resources are available to support the implementation of such a programme as funding streams are focused on addressing the refurbishment of void units, carrying out ongoing reactive and proactive maintenance to the growing housing stock, and the implementation of the county‑wide energy efficiency retrofit programme.”