This article is from page 21 of the 2007-11-20 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 21 JPG
THE Construction Industry Federa- tion (CIF) yesterday stated that it has “huge concerns” over plans by Clare County Council by seek the provi- sion of social houses in private hous- ing estates.
In its draft housing strategy, the council anticipates a higher demand for social housing due to the down- turn in the economy with demand for social units growing to 260 by 2011.
During the lifetime of its previous Housing Strategy, published four years ago, the council provided no social housing under Part V of the Planning & Development Act, which requires developers to provide 20 per cent of the value of the site for hous- ing developers for social housing.
The draft, which includes a review of the performance of the existing strategy, shows that the council pro- vided 74 affordable homes through the Part V arrangement.
However, as part of the upcoming plan, the council has signalled that there will be an increased need for social housing.
The matter was due to be discussed at the council’s adjourned November meeting in Scariff yesterday, but was deferred to the December meeting.
In response to the principled objec- tion by CIF to the inclusion of the social housing provision in the Hous- ing Strategy, the council state, “As the councils have limited lands upon which to deliver both social and af- fordable housing, it will be neces- sary for the councils to increasingly accept units of accommodation rath- er than cash from private developers in line with the specific market de- mands of the locality in which such housing is planned to be developed.”
The figures relating to the council’s existing housing strategy also show Clare’s local authorities completed 311 social homes from 2003 to the end of last year.