Update on vacant properties ready for letting in Ballina
Mayo County Council currently has 21 vacant housing units in the Ballina Municipal District,
Head of the district Declan Turnbull told last week's meeting of local councillors that five of the 21 properties have been accepted by tenants and three more have been offered and are awaiting acceptance. Six others have had funding allocated for upgrade works and another six are being priced or are undergoing a tendering process. The final house is being used on an ongoing basis for emergency accommodation.
Mr Turnbull said seven homeless cases presented to the municipal office last month.
In relation to various housing projects in the district, Mr Turnbull said the Church Manor scheme has had planning approved while six houses at Castlefield Manor are at stage one. He said a planning application for 15 units at the Meadows could come before councillors in March and another for 66 units at the old Cheshire Home site could be available in mid-March.
Mr Turnbull said it could be May by the time a planning application is in front of councillors for 34 units at the old Duffy’s Bakery site.
Cathaoirleach of the district Cllr Michael Loftus said it was good to see that the true number of vacant houses was lower than the figure of 21 they were initially presented with, but added that the delivery of housing needs to be sped up.
“If I hear one more Dublin politician giving off about one-off housing, I will lose my nut," said Cllr Loftus. "One-off housing is important to us, it doesn’t matter to anyone in the cities. The delivery of housing needs speeding up.”
