Cork project should serve as 'template' for fast-tracking homes, says Tánaiste

Micheál Martin was speaking in East Cork as he marked the official completion of the Water-Rock critical infrastructure project near Midleton

County Mayor Joe Carroll and Tánaiste Micheál Martin opening the €11.7m critical infrastructure development at Water-Rock near Midleton, Co Cork. Picture: Michael O'Sullivan

A near €12m project to unlock land with capacity for 2,500 new homes should serve as a template for the fast-tracking of new homes around the country, the Tánaiste has said.

Micheál Martin was speaking in East Cork on Friday as he marked the official completion of the Water-Rock critical infrastructure project near Midleton, six years after work first began.

He accepted that it has taken a long time from inception to delivery of the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) project but said it was a “new concept”.

“In an earlier time perhaps, the development would have happened piecemeal and not in an integrated, proper way so this is the full realisation of that concept in evidence here,” he said.

Fundamentally we would like these projects to happen more quickly. Now that you have a template, perhaps future projects can follow this template.

Building has started of the first few hundred of the near 1,400 residential units which have planning across the 160-hectare landbank on the northern side of Midleton town.

One of five major urban expansion zones in Cork county, it has been zoned to provide a mixed-use development, to be delivered in three phases, to eventually include 2,500 residential units, three schools, a neighbourhood centre, a railway station and parks. 

But the land was not serviced. 

The Government used its LIHAF fund to deliver that critical infrastructure. 

Preparatory work began in 2018 and it has led to the construction of around 1.7kms of link roads, as well as other services, public lighting, and landscaping. 

The scheme was designed and planned by AtkinsRealis and was built by BAM Civil Ltd.

A new waste water treatment plant is nearing completion and Iarnród Eireann plans to build a commuter rail station there. 

The county council has also bought 18-acres in the area to develop three public parks in tandem with the housing.

In Cork City however, there are concerns about the prices of a new affordable housing scheme which was launched by the city council on Friday night.

Seaberry Drive, Meadow Brome, Grange.

Homes in the new 16-unit affordable housing scheme at Seaberry Drive, Grange, will range from €313,500 or €321,000 but Sinn Féin TD Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire said some could hit €391,000.

"These are supposed to be affordable to people who can't buy on the open market. This scheme will be welcome for some, but for an awful lot of people, these houses are not going to be properly affordable," he said.

Details on the scheme are available at seaberrydrivegrange.ie, with applications opening on July 30.

It is the council's seventh affordable homes scheme, and brings to 300 the number of homes delivered.