Northside of city sees three regeneration projects delayed
Data shows delays to one project that was due in the coming weeks, as well as two that have not yet started. Picture: Larry Cummins
Three Cork City Northwest Quarter Regeneration Plan (CWNQR) projects have been delayed over just two months.
Data provided by the Minister for Housing on the timeline for the full completion of the plan, an ongoing regeneration project in the Knocknaheeny area, shows delays to one project that was due in the coming weeks, as well as two that have not yet started.
A department spokesperson said: “Responsibility for the progression of individual projects and the associated delivery timelines lie with Cork City Council.”
The delayed projects include the CNWQR Knocknaheeny Phase 2B, 38 units that were initially supposed to be complete in the last quarter of 2023.
This has since been pushed back to Q4 2024, then Q3 2025, and in May this year the estimated completion date was Q2 2026 – this has now been pushed back to Q4 of this year.
Phase 4F of the same project, which consists of 23 units in Knocknaheeny, has not yet started construction and is still at the pre planning stage.
It is due in Q4 2028, nearly a year later than the Q1 2028 date given initially and as recent as May this year.
Also delayed before even starting is Phase 1D East, which consists of 14 homes at pre-tender stage, initially due in Q4 2027, then pushed to Q1 2028 and now due in Q4 2028.
In total, there are three projects within the scheme completed, consisting of 117 units, including one which has been done since 2017.
Contracts have been awarded and teams are onsite for a further three projects consisting of 124 units, due to be completed this year and next while a further six schemes with a cumulative 139 housing units have not yet seen work start – completion on all is due in 2028.
The latest predicted completion dates and historical data against which delays are measured were provided to Sinn Féin TD Thomas Gould.
Mr Gould said: “For 20 years now, the Knocknaheeny Regeneration project has been met with nothing but delays. People have been left in unfit homes for decades while construction has happened at snail’s pace.
“I have yet to receive an update on the regeneration that doesn’t detail at least one delay.”
Councillor Michelle Gould added: “The people of Knocknaheeny are sick and tired of broken promises and a timeline that is never delivered. We need to see delivery now.
“Pushing projects off until the end of 2028 in the hope that people will have forgotten that deadline by then isn’t good enough.”
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