Decision ‘imminent’ in Tipperary on plans for 50 affordable homes
Fifty new affordable homes could be on the way for Tipperary, pending a decision from the Department of Housing.
Tipperary County Council had submitted two applications for affordable housing in Clonmel to the Department, with a decision on the homes now “imminent.”
At the April meeting of the local authority, independent councillor Máirín McGrath asked the council’s housing section for a breakdown of the amount of homes in the two schemes, and when building works would start if a positive decicion was received.
"I know it’s referenced in the housing report that two applications have gone to the Department of Housing for approval in Clonmel, could we get some more information about those? How many units and what size units will they be?” she asked.
Affordable housing allows people to buy homes at a reduced rate, with the local authority taking a percentage stake in the home too.
"I think this is well overdue and very, very welcome for Clonmel, and indeed for south Tipperary. I’ve said at every opportunity that we need to expand our affordable housing schemes out to other small towns and I realise that there’s difficulties with restrictions from the Department, but we really need to get moving on this,” Cllr McGrath added.
"We are falling behind other local authorities who have affordable housing schemes well up and running, so I hope that the applications that are gone to the Department are going to be successful because we all know the squeezed middle, young people who are trying to get on the housing ladder and just can’t afford to bridge the gap between rent and saving for a deposit,” she said.
Fianna Fáil councillor for Clonmel Siobhán Ambrose also asked for an update on the affordable houses, and said that 30 affordable homes would be delivered on the Colville Road and 20 in Moangarrif.
"I’m working with a lot of young people, people whose marriages have broken down or are in second relationships or marriages and are trying to get back on the housing ladder, so do we have any update on the affordable scheme?” she asked.
In response to both councillors, Jonathan Cooney, the council’s director of services for housing said that a decision on the schemes was due in a matter of weeks.
"We engaged with the Department as recently as this morning looking for an update, and I am told a decision is imminent, and we certainly will inform the members once a decision is made by the Department,” he said.
"We will put a call out for interested parties in affordable housing at that point in time, and then in terms of timeline it’ll be a phased delivery of those houses, and it ultimately will depend on the numbers of people that come forward looking for affordable housing,” Mr Cooney added.
The two affordable housing schemes in Clonmel will be the first affordable development in Tipperary, with the council also seeking to set up a similar scheme in Nenagh.