‘Families should be living in these homes’: Protest to highlight unfinished development on Cork's northside

CONCERNS about a delay in the delivery of homes as part of a phased housing regeneration project on Cork City’s northside have been raised by local representatives who described the development site as “an eyesore”.

A protest was held on Saturday on Kilmore Rd Lower at the site of Phase 2C of the Cork City Northwest Quarter Regeneration (CNWQR) Masterplan where 24 homes are to be delivered. Construction began in 2019 but later halted, and the project is currently the subject of a complex contractual dispute which Cork City Council has said it is addressing with the contractor.

Sinn Féin Cork North Central TD Thomas Gould attended the protest and said: “If this was anywhere else, this would not be acceptable. If this was happening in another part of the city, there would be uproar.”

The protest was attended by Sinn Féin and Socialist Party representatives who raised concerns both about the delay in the delivery of the homes and the condition the unfinished houses have been left in, some of which are exposed to the elements.

Mr Gould added: “It’s not good enough. People have to live here in this area and look at this every day. This road is on the 202 bus route and this is what people are passing by each day.

“I worry that we will be here in 10 years and that these unfinished houses [that have been left open to the elements] would have to be retrofitted. So the question now is are they even viable at this stage? It’s a shame.

“Some of the houses here are nearly finished. Even if those were finished and housed 10 or 12 people. We just want it done and dusted as quickly as possible. The foundation is there, the basics are done.”

Sinn Féin councillor Mick Nugent said: “Obviously, there is an issue here and we felt that we had to take the step to highlight it because we are being continually asked by constituents and local people what is happening with it.

“The protest was about highlighting an unfinished, stalled housing development.

“I have attended meetings of the regeneration committee now for about 11 years so I feel personally invested in the scheme and I feel, overall, it is very positive for the area.

“It is an eyesore which is also slowing up an element of the regeneration scheme. There should be people living in these homes now so hopefully there will be a resolution in the near future.”

Socialist Party councillor Brian McCarthy said: “At the best of times this would be a disgrace but this isn’t the best of times, this is in the middle of a housing crisis.

“Families should already be living here. The council won’t give any information about what is going on here. I and other councillors on the housing committee have tried to get information and we have been stonewalled.”

A spokesperson for Cork City Council said: “The construction site on Kilmore Road, Knocknaheeny forms part of the City Northwest Quarter Regeneration Programme, and part of Cork City Council’s wider social housing delivery programme.

“The project is, however, the subject of a complex contractual dispute which Cork City Council is addressing with the main building contractor.

“Cork City Council is treating this with the utmost priority and is seeking to progress a prompt solution to this matter with a view to the earliest possible delivery of more quality homes at this location.

“As the project is subject to legal and commercial privilege due to the contractual dispute, further detail cannot be provided at this present time.”