Cork City Council to consider using estate’s residual funding for maintenance

Cork City Council has said it will consider the use of residual funding intended for use at Fairfield Meadows/Lawn for follow-up maintenance and appropriate works in the estates.

In 2018, €1.1m for repairs to homes in Fairfield Meadows and Fairfield Lawn was secured as part of an €11m loan-funded scheme which saw 1,200 local authority homes in Cork city earmarked for repairs or upgrades.

The contract for remediation works to dwellings at Fairfield Meadows and Fairfield Lawn was awarded to HG Construction (Ireland) Limited, and the project commenced in June 2022.

As of March 30, 2023, HG Construction (Ireland) Limited completed their programme of works to 70 of a total of 73 dwellings at a final account sum of €731,355.46. HG Construction could not gain access to three dwellings.

Sinn Féin councillor for Cork City North West, Mick Nugent, has suggested that the remainder of the €1.1m in funding allocated for Fairfield Meadows/Lawn could be used to address existing maintenance issues at Fairfield Meadows.

It comes following concerns about housing maintenance issues raised by residents in the area.

Cork City Council’s Housing Directorate met some of the residents in December to hear their concerns and to observe some of the maintenance issues. A gathering of some residents was held in November at the entrance to the estate, calling on the council to carry out required maintenance works on their homes.

Mr Nugent’s motion asking Cork City Council to ringfence any funding remaining from the €1.1m allocated to Fairfield Meadows/Lawn for a housing remediation programme, housing maintenance, and perhaps public realm works was referred to the North West local area committee of the council for discussion this week.

In a written response to Mr Nugent, director of services of the Housing Operations Directorate Niall Ó Donnabháin said that a number of ongoing housing maintenance issues were brought to the attention of the senior housing operations team in December.

“Further maintenance works were flagged during the visit and in subsequent engagement with the relevant residents’ association, and these are being dealt with, as appropriate,” said Mr Ó Donnabháin.

“The Housing Operations Directorate will assess any residual funding from the initial loan facility intended for use at Fairfield Meadows/Lawn and consider the use of same for follow-up maintenance and appropriate works.”