Call for idle Cork city sites to be used for social housing

A CORK councillor has called for idle sites on the northside of the city to be acquired by Cork City Council for social housing.

Sinn Féin councillor for Cork City North West, Mick Nugent, put forward a motion for an update on housing plans for sites in the area, including the one adjacent to Neptune Stadium, a site on Glen Ryan Road that was a public house, and the site at 37-38 Shandon St.

Discussed

The motion was discussed at the latest meeting of the Cork City North West local area committee.

Mr Nugent said: “37-38 Shandon Street is a very prominent site. It could be a site, for example, that the council could acquire and would be an ideal site for a number of apartments. Shandon St is a very busy area, with a great community and wider community, and it would be great to see something happening with that site: It’s the reason I raised it.

“The other site, on Gerald Griffin St/Burkes Avenue, that sweeps in around Neptune Stadium, again... it is one that you would like to see movement on in the near future.

“The final site is what would be known locally as the site of a former public house, Connie Donovan’s. It still is a private site. I was raising it in the context that city council may talk to the owners and see what can be done.

Social housing

“These are three sites that could provide dozens of apartments for social housing. It’s apartments that we do need, particularly one-beds. We can see the huge demand for the one-bedroom apartments in a number of recent social-housing developments advertised by Cork City Council, including the Green Lane apartments in Blackpool and the demand for them is phenomenal.” In response to Mr Nugent, Cork City Council said the site at nos 37-38 Shandon St is in private ownership and not within the control of Cork City Council.

The council also said it has secured approval from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage for the proposed Gerald Griffin St/Burkes Avenue housing development to proceed to a design-and-build contract tender process. 

The council said that it does not have any plans in relation to this site at the Glen Ryan Road/Wolfe Tone St/Castle Market Avenue junction, which it said is in private ownership.