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Cllr Francis Timmons – Independent Voice

housing plan

MEETING OF CLONDALKIN AREA COMMITTEE

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

MOTION NO. 8

MOTION: Councillor F. Timmons

That the Clondalkin Area committee calls on South Dublin County Council to issue a plan to deal with the growing housing issue and that this plan includes access to open green spaces and facilities.

REPORT:

The Council identified a number of sites throughout the county with potential for proposed infill development as part of the Council’s response to the Government’s construction led job stimulus programme.  The locations indentified in the Clondalkin area included:

  1. St Marks’ Clondalkin   (11 units)
  2. Mayfield, Clondalkin (18 units)

Approval to proceed to tender is currently awaited from the Department of Environment Community and Local Government in respect of the 29 Social Housing units at St. Marks, and Mayfield estates. Subject to funding approval, these projects will proceed to tender in accordance with guidelines set down under the Capital Works Management Framework.

It is an objective that all housing projects, and particularly infill housing projects, engage with improving amenities in the immediate vicinity of the project in one or more of the following ways:

  • Upgrade hard landscaping / paths and supplement with planting
  • Ensure supervision by housing of existing open space
  • Define existing space by walls, planting
  • Manage the open space – proportional to the housing density and local use
  • Create small pockets of landscaped space clearly associated with intimate groups of housing
  • Provide quality finishes to walls and hard landscaping to upgrade visual amenity
  • The amount expended on upgrade of any infill area is proportionate the budget allowed for the infill housing

The Council is also currently carrying out an assessment of short to medium land bank requirements to facilitate additional future building programmes. On completion of this exercise the most viable sites will be fast tracked under the Part 8 process.

The Council will also continue to be proactive in the procurement of units for the provision of social housing support under the Social Housing Leasing and RAS schemes (whereby we enter into lease arrangements with private property owners and Voluntary Housing Bodies to procure homes to provide for the housing needs of persons on social housing waiting lists).

In addition the Council successfully negotiated over the past couple of years a number of financial compensations as a result of agreements in accordance with Part V, and in accordance with the Part V conditions this fund can be used to finance the purchase of completed units. It is intended to purchase a number of suitable units throughout the county in areas of housing demand with some proceeds from this fund.

South Dublin County Council is one of 7 “First Wave” local authorities where HAP will be implemented. The introduction of HAP will represent a fundamental reform to the way in which social housing supports are to be provided, including that those in receipt of HAP are considered to have their housing need met.   HAP recipients will source their own accommodation in the private rented sector.  However, unlike rent supplement generally, the Council will make a full rental payment directly to the landlord with the HAP recipient making a differential rent contribution to the Council.

The Council will also continue to work in conjunction with Approved Housing Bodies through the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) and Capital Advance Leasing Facility schemes to supply housing to applicants on the Council’s housing list.

 

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