Plans for more than 70 new social housing units in Knocknacarra have gone on public display.
Galway City Council is seeking planning permission for the 74 homes on the site at the entrance to Coláiste na Coiribe on the Ballymoneen Road.
The plans include the extension of the existing road servicing the school, the creation of a playground and a MUGA (soft surface multi-use games area) facility.
There will be 2 four-bed houses; 30 three-bed houses; 12 two-bed duplex; 12 two-bed apartments; 9 three-bed duplex and 9 other apartments, all with renewable energy design measures included.
They will be leased at a nominal rent to tenants on the city’s local authority waiting list.
As the application has been made under the ‘Part 8’ planning process (where the local authority itself is making the application), members of the public have until April 3 to make submissions on the plan, which is on display at City Hall until March 16.
A report will then be prepared for councillors by the Council executive on whether it is recommended to proceed with the plan or with a modified proposal.
The project already has funding in place, and it will be the first of its kind in the country to address the national housing shortage.
It is being led by Cork County Council, will be built by a private contractor and will be managed and maintained by a private company, which gets paid a monthly fee for 25 years before the properties are returned to the City Council.
Those payments will be made by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government.
It is expected that if approved, the homes would take between 18 months and two years to build.
Local area councillor Donal Lyons said he is hopeful the project will go ahead as soon as possible.
“There is a major housing crisis in our city, we need to get building as quickly as possible. This will make a small dent in our housing waiting list, but it’s an important step forward.
“It will also mean that the Council can start to reduce the financial burden of paying back the interest on loans to purchase land for social housing, which was €550,000 last year. Then we will have to tackle the capital repayments.
“The mixture of homes in this development will result in a good cross-section of people – there are small family units, homes for partners and a child, up to larger family homes,” said Cllr Lyons.
He added that he would like to see the Council develop affordable housing on its landbank, rather than social housing only.
Meanwhile, construction work is continuing at a site further up the Ballymoneen Road, where 14 social houses are being built, and plans are in place for a further 55 units.
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