The following motions were put before the Municipal District Council meeting on July 11th by Cllr Diarmaid Ó Cadhla, they were all adopted. The Housing Proposal will eventually go before a full meeting of Cork County County, hopefuly resulting is a formal proposal going to Government for funding.
It is important that broad public support backs the proposal, details of which will be distributed to the public for comment – a consultation is being organised.
The Motion Proposed:
- That we note the resolution of Cork County Council inviting the Municipal Districts to identify at least one site, on Council owned property, which might be suitable for the development of social housing.
- According, this Council identifies the lands at Ballynoe, identified as CH-R-13, CH-R-15 and CH-R-16 on the Draft Cobh Municipal District Local Area Plan as suitable for social housing. We note that these lands are already nominated for ‘Medium B’ density residential use, yielding between 12 and 25 housing units per hectare, the total area of the lands identified is 11.7 Ha (nearly 30 acres).
- In addition, we note that the adjacent lands at CH-0-08 are already assigned for ‘active open space’, for the provision of playing pitches and sports facilities.
- That members of the Municipal District Council be invited to collaborate in the creation of a proposal for the development of the lands identified in section ‘2’, and that the plan be to draft level, including maps, drawing of housing scheme layout and use of the open space.
- The plan should include estimated costs for the completion of the work and options on how the work might be financed, whether through capital funds provided by Government or through ‘off-balance sheet’ methodology, possibly with Credit Unions or other source.
- That this Council seeks to identify other suitable sites on Council owned property for development of Social Housing, looking to include the areas of Great Island, Carrigtohill, Little Island, Glanmire and the north environs of Cork city – and consider the possibility of developing plans for those also.