State investment plan set to unlock land for 10,000 Cork homes 

Land for more than 10,000 homes is set to be directly and indirectly unlocked in Cork through a recently announced government investment in infrastructure projects.

Road, wastewater, and electrical upgrades are among the projects that will be supported in the first phase of the €1bn Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund (HIIF) programme.

Four Cork projects, two in Cork city and two in Cork county, were among the 82 schemes which will directly enable the delivery of 86,000 new homes and provide the potential for a further 113,000 homes across Ireland.

In Wilton, the Summerstown Road Infrastructure Project will see Uisce Éireann upgrade sewers to increase wastewater treatment capacity, while ESB are planning to improve network capacity, to facilitate a planned affordable housing development on former ESB land.

Unlock lands

Government investment will directly unlock lands for 345 residential units and indirectly unlock a further 345 units.

Land for another 334 residential units will be directly unlocked in Tower, with works to Bawnafinny Road and Tower Bridge, to widen and refurb the existing footpath and construct an active travel bridge crossing the River Shournagh.

The Cork city projects will both cost less than €10m, while two larger projects in Cork County Council will require a greater investment but have a greater housing yield.

The Carrigtwohill Housing Activation Scheme includes 25 infrastructure projects designed to unlock housing, regenerate the town centre, deliver sustainable transport and provide utilities.

The works, anticipated to cost more than €20m, will directly unlock lands for 2,747 residential units and indirectly unlock a further 1,646 residential units.

Phase two of a scheme targeting the Waterrock area will focus on the Linear Park and Knockgriffin areas, directly unlocking lands for 3,804 residential units and indirectly a further 1,600.

Works including a rail overbridge, a spur road connecting the rail overbridge to Castlerock Avenue, and a linear park are set to cost between €10m and €20m.