New offerings in Cork county as Castlelands aims to beat the slump

IT’S going to be an eventful month for Cork builders Castlelands Construction. Just as they launch new A-rated homes in three locations, at significantly reduced prices and with an increased specification and fit-out, they are also in line for two very major planning decisions.

Yesterday was the due date for a Cork County Council decision on their first tranche of 250 houses and apartments planned for 17 acres at Garrandarragh, Bishopstown; and Wednesday next, the first planning ruling is to be issued on moves to relocate Douglas Golf Club in a €170 million development with two new courses, community facilities, etc.

The company, which rose massively during the boom and provided high specification houses, says it has quality sites and locations for when the market eventually recovers. Its Douglas golf course redevelopment plans alone (for up to 1,400 homes) may take 15 to 20 years to deliver. Castlelands has acquired 480 acres of land on the outskirts of the suburb, which has significant traffic relief plans also in the pipeline.

Set up by Mallow builder John Barry, the company has built around 1,500 houses in the past decade and successfully traded its way through difficulties three years ago before the market generally collapsed. In the past year it has delivered two significant commercial buildings at its Mallow headquarters, one for a primary health centre run by Alpha with a HSE presence, as well as offices for the NRA.

Now, a spokesperson says that while activity levels are currently low, they are relaunching three existing schemes, in Whitechurch on the edge of Cork city, as well as Mallow and Midleton, for 2010.

At Whitechurch, 10 minutes from Blackpool, they have slashed the price of new 2,100 sq ft detached houses from a 2008 launch price of €560,000 to €420,000, and four-bed semis have been cut from €395,000 to €285,000. Prices start now from €225,000 for mid-terraced three-bed homes of 988 sq ft. Their current Whitechurch site is to accommodate 88 houses (about 14 are built and mostly sold), and they’ve built over 100 homes there in a previous development.

Prices are similarly reduced in The Mews, Mallow, with three-bed semis at €215,000 and four-bed semis down to €245,000. In Abbeywood, Midleton, Castlelands has a scheme of 50 houses with townhouses now priced from €230,000, and they’ll build new detached 1,850 sq ft four-beds at €380,000.

Castlelands has now switched from timber frame to block-built houses as they say they are easier to achieve the required air-tightness levels for a prestigious A-energy rating, which they say is likely to save householders 40% on average on domestic energy bills on even a B3 rated house.

As they launch sales this month via Sherry FitzGerald O’Donovan (and jointly with Property Partners Seamus O’Keeffe in Mallow and Whitechurch) the latest batch of house offerings include solar panels, full fit-out with flooring, tiling and carpets, as well as tiling, painting and kitchen appliances, plus bedroom built-ins.

Castlelands says it is gearing up for expected sales of their new increased offerings, and is proceeding with planning permissions for its major residential sites, and says it currently has enough sites for 2,500 new homes over the next two decades.