35 families ‘very happy’ with new homes in Birr

Giving his Housing Activity Report during the May meeting of Birr Municipal District, John Cunningham, Housing Officer, pointed out that all 35 turnkey houses in Woodfield (beside McAuley Drive) have been completed and allocated. “This has been a very successful development," he told the councillors, "and the new houses look excellent. There are now 35 very happy families living in Woodfield. They tell us they are really pleased with their new homes." 

Cllr John Carroll, Cathaoirleach, said the Woodfield houses are a fantastic addition to the town. “The tenants are telling me that the new houses are very good quality. They feel fortunate to have been allocated these homes, considering the difficult times we live in. The contractor also managed the construction very well. As a result of this good management we received few phonecalls from members of the public. Things went smoothly.” 

  Cllr Carroll also asked Mr Cunningham if there is a long waiting list of people seeking HAP (Housing Assistance Payment) properties? He pointed out there’s a two year waiting list for DPGs (Disabled Persons' Grant). A DPG can go towards things like the installation of a stair-lift or the installation of a downstairs bedroom or bathroom. 12 houses in Birr MD are currently scheduled for DPG works to start. 

Cllr Carroll added that the vacant house in 1 Newbridge Street, after being upgraded, “looks really well. It is an excellent standard. Please speed up 4 HollyPark, Hill View; it is taking a long time.” 

Cllr Peter Ormond said they have looked at the site in the Rectory Field for a long number of years and still nothing has happened. It was proposed several years ago to build about 20 social houses there, but this hasn't happened yet.

“The staff in the housing department are stretched,” he remarked, “and the government needs to give more staff to them with the purpose of purchasing extra houses.”  

He said the closure of Derrinlough Briquette Factory is a hammerblow to the region. “A lot of our Council houses are reliant on solid fuel,” he pointed out, “and are regular users of the briquettes from Derrinlough. 

“We are getting no part V arrangements with private developers,” he added, discussing another point, “because there is very little private development happening. Nearly every small village in the District is crying out for more housing.” 

He said the Disabled Persons' Grant is greatly in demand “and therefore we will never have enough money for DPGs." 

Cllr John Clendennen complimented Mr Cunningham for his comprehensive Housing Activity Report. “It’s great to see some housing stock coming on line to meet the demand. I have talked about solar panels quite a bit. We should have them on all the Council buildings. We need to prioritise solar. And we need to turbo-boost our retrofit programme.  

“You know, our tenants can’t apply for an SEAI grant therefore they are stuck with solid fuel; that’s in spite of all the hype and headlines.  

“We all want to see more life coming into our towns and villages. Hopefully the Croí Cónaithe scheme will go some way towards delivering that.” 

  John Cunningham said solar panels are costly which means their roll-out is considerably smaller than desired. 

Cllr John Leahy pointed out that  after the lifting of the eviction ban he has seen Offaly County Council staff doing great work doing everything they can to keep people in their homes. “Hand on heart, I’d say the Council can do no more. 

“In the building industry there is a shortage of plumbers and carpenters. It heartens me though to hear that a lot of youngsters doing the Leaving Cert are talking about doing apprenticeships in jobs which entails them using their hands.” 

John Cunningham said the DPG waiting list is getting bigger. "The Department has increased the money going towards it and we have increased the number of staff working on it. Perhaps the increase is due to an aging population." He said making vacant houses, like the one in Hill View, ready to be lived in is “a very staff intensive process. Building on a greenfield site is really a more efficient process than trying to turn around vacant houses.”  

  Other points made in his Housing Activity Report included the following: 

18 housing units in Kylebeg Banagher will be completed during the second quarter of this year. The construction of four units in Moneygall is now complete. Seven units in Beechgrove Belmont will be completed during the third quarter of 2023. It’s also proposed to build four houses on Croghan Road, Birr. 

31 housing units in Birr Town and Crinkle have been retrofitted under the Midlands Retrofit Programme. Works are also underway on a number of vacant properties under the Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme. 

The total Council Housing Stock in Birr is 724 out of 2,034 for the county. 411 maintenance requests were received for the Municipal District of Birr to the end of April 2023. Planned maintenance works are ongoing from the approved 2023 budget of €410,000 of which €136,667 is allocated to Birr MD. Replacement smoke alarms, fascia soffit and gutters, window and door improvements and heating sytems are currently ongoing with other planned works to be progressed, eg kitchen upgrades, boundary treatments. 

"Repairs are undertaken on Local Authority housing stock," the report continued, "which becomes vacant in the normal course of business. Every effort is being made to maximise funding and ensure that properties are not left void for extended periods." Mr Cunningham said there are 13 of these void houses on which work has been completed or is ongoing. 

There are 673 HAP tenancies in Offaly. 12 new HAP properties have been signed up in Birr MD in 2023 to date. 

There were 41 Private Rented Inspections during the first quarter of 2023.