TD calls on Cork City Council to publish timeline for Knocknaheeny housing regeneration

Sinn Féin TD for Cork North Central Thomas Gould has called on Cork City Council to publish a timeline for completing the Cork City North West Quarter Regeneration programme.

This follows a parliamentary question submitted by Mr Gould to the housing minister requesting an update.

Minister Darragh O’Brien said he had been advised by the council that significant progress has been made in the advancement of the programme which involves demolition of 450 houses and their replacement by 656 new housing units as well as a range of social, environmental and economic interventions.

He said his department has been advised Phase 1C (41 units) and Phase 2B (38 units) have recently commenced with projected delivery in Q2 2024. Phases 3B (62 units) and 4A (43 units) received Part 8 Planning approval in 2022 and are at the detailed design phase and are expected to complete in Q2 and Q3 of 2025.

He said that Phase 3 demolition works are substantially complete at Knocknaheeny Avenue and Harbour View Road and the Council advises they are engaged in an ongoing decant of homeowners and tenants in Phases 3 and 4.

The Minister said his department awaits funding submissions and programme dates for the remaining phases. He said the programme would run until 2027 and it is envisaged projects will be ongoing until this date.

However, Mr Gould said there is “huge concern in Knocknaheeny at this stage with the progress” and said only 99 homes have been built in 12 years. He said while the minster indicated the regeneration would be complete by 2027, there are “no plans for the 339 homes that will need to be built after 2025” and called for a timeline of when the regeneration will be completed.