MEETING OF CLONDALKIN AREA COMMITTEE
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
MOTION NO. 21
MOTION: Councillor F. Timmons
“This committee agrees in the interest of public health and safety that SDCC provide a full report on Balgaddy and to list all the housing units that need work and what action is being done in this regard? What is the estimated cost of bringing the accommodation up to acceptable living standard? Also in that report to provide a fire certificate for all Housing in Balgaddy, when was a safety audit done of these premises? and to include the name of the Persons who signed off on this. ”
REPORT:
It is not accepted that the units of accommodation in Balgaddy are below acceptable living standards. Constructional problems left by Gama Construction formed the centre of well over two years of remedial works. All units were left fit for purpose and this was reflected in the years following by lower than average Maintenance request activity in the area.
All Council Estates continue to require maintenance as does Balgaddy. The Council has a developed system for the reporting of maintenance issues by tenants and this system tracks problems and depot responses. This is the correct way for tenants with difficulties to report them to the Council.
A number of houses identified by Councillors and the Balgaddy Working Together group were surveyed as requested by Council staff and independently by HSE staff. The results of their inspections and our recommendations were set out in a report to the last Area Committee Meeting.
Condensation levels as previously explained vary depending on building design and tenant lifestyle. This proved to be the case again here. A number of improvements were recommended to the dwellings surveyed and a tender to carry out these works is in preparation. One third of the homes identified however have not facilitated access by Council or HSE staff and this continues to delay the tender issue. It would be helpful if the members could encourage the tenants who have not cooperated with the inspection of the tranche of homes now in discussion to do so and allow any building problems to be evaluated and remedied as well as the tender to issue. The cost of undertaking these works will not be known until the tender has been published and a contract signed.
Individual houses do not require fire safety certification under the Building Regulations. Apartments in Balgaddy were the subject of fire safety design reports to Dublin Fire Brigade standard required for fire certification. Opinions on Compliance with the Building Regulations were provided at completion by Murray O Laoire Architects and Howley Harrington Architects. A number of fire safety issues were identified by Council staff, BCF Report and EML Report. All issues identified were addressed and remedied over the the two year period mentioned above. All units were surveyed at the end of the remediation for fire safety. Since then issues reported have proven not to be in breach.
It should be noted that there have been three fires reported in Balgaddy since its opening and in all cases there has been no spread of flame or smoke penetration to adjoining units.
