Cork under more pressure than Dublin on the housing supply front

Almost €170m is needed to unlock strategic sites in Cork, which have the potential to deliver 18,000 private housing units, if the region is to avert a chronic housing supply crisis.

The chief executive of Cork County Council, Tim Lucey, outlined the urgent need for state support and investment to fully exploit the sites during a briefing at County Hall yesterday.

He told an audience, which included several major developers, that the council only has enough serviced land with planning to provide for housing delivery for another 18 months.

“This is a more acute position than the Dublin region housing supply situation,” said Mr Lucey.

He noted that the council has enough zoned land around the county to provide for house building for the next decade, but the land is unserviced.

He said it is “critical” that a strategic infrastructure investment fund is put in place to ensure the council can give certainty to house builders on the delivery of critical infrastructure such as roads, drainage, and recreational facilities around these key sites.

He said the council has in recent weeks submitted two significant funding proposals to Government under its local infrastructure housing activation fund in a bid to unlock the development potential of this zoned land.

The first proposal is for €30m, supported by some €10m of the council’s own funding, which could be supplemented by loan facilities to deliver a massive €106m infrastructure fund to open up five key strategic sites in metropolitan Cork: At Ballincollig, Glanmire, Carrigtwohill, Midleton, and Carrigaline.

A further €66m is being sought to support the delivery of infrastructure at 14 other locations across the county — with seven of these in “high-demand” areas in metropolitan Cork.

“Combined, the proposals would support the servicing of lands to deliver nearly 18,000 housing units, thus responding to the acute current situation that exists,” said Mr Lucey.

He made his comments at the first of a series of breakfast briefings he plans to hold around the county over the coming months.

Despite co-operation between the county and city on various projects, including housing, regional marketing, tourism, and emergency management, no invitation was extended to City Hall to attend yesterday’s briefing.

Lord Mayor Cllr Des Cahill said it was unfortunate members of Cork City Council were not invited to discuss future plans for metropolitan Cork: “I believe that the exercise being initiated by the County Council is a very positive one.

“The city and county have worked well together on many projects. I hope that beyond this preliminary meeting that both the city and county councils can adapt a mature, constructive, and collaborative approach to work together for the good of Cork.”

Mr Cahill said: “Many of our services overlap and to future-proof such services for future development, we need to work together.

“My door and that of all the team in City Hall is certainly open to work in tandem with our fellow Corkonians in County Hall.”

Mr Lucey said the briefing was for the county council’s main stakeholders with whom they engage on an almost daily basis.

Meanwhile, Mr Lucey also confirmed that council officials are poised to serve notice to treat on landowners in relation to the compulsory purchase order to provide an access road to the proposed Cork Science and Innovation Park in Curraheen, on the western outskirts of the city.

County council CEO seeks State support and investment to secure more sites for housing