Cork City Council has taken the all-important next step in developing a residential scheme on its lands at Old Whitechurch Road where it expects to deliver at least 600 new homes and facilities like a school, neighbourhood shop, and services.

It is now seeking candidates interested in competing in a public procurement competition to deliver a substantial social and affordable housing scheme of circa. 600 homes incorporating retail, educational, and amenity facilities at Kilnap, between the Old Whitechurch Road and Old Mallow Road, Cork City.

The scheme – one of the largest of its nature in the region – will be developed on a landbank measuring circa. 22 hectares / 54 acres in area which is zoned as residential in the 2015-2021 Cork City Development Plan.

The development site has benefitted from a major infrastructure-enabling project funded mainly by the Government’s Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) which included the provision of water, foul water, and surface water drainage services, the construction of a spine/access road with ducting for electricity, gas, phone and other utilities, the undergrounding of overhead power and communications lines, as well as junction and improvement works on the Old Whitechurch Road and Old Mallow Road.

Cork City Council Assistant Chief Executive, Brian Geaney said: “We are delighted to be launching the call for participants in a project where we expect to deliver at least 600 new homes and facilities such as a school, neighbourhood shop, and services. This is exciting because, as a City Council, we are now able to facilitate the delivery of large numbers of affordable homes as well as traditional social housing and we will be able to look at a mix of home types from apartments to houses and tenure type.”

The Council’s Invitation for Expressions of Interest was published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) and advertised on E-tenders earlier this week.

Separately,  Cork City Council is seeking expressions of interest from candidates such as landowners, developers and builders to participate in a public procurement competition to deliver all types of social, affordable homes across Cork City – ranging from houses to apartments and to suit all kind of tenancy.

The Council is interested in identifying and exploring innovative housing solutions and opportunities currently not known to the Council and entering a Competitive Dialogue process with selected candidates to deliver solutions that satisfy the Council’s requirements.  Cork City Council has delivered multiple award-winning housing solutions and provided much-needed homes in the past four years using this process and it is expanding this ‘trawl’ to include affordable homes.

Assistant Chief Executive, Brian Geaney said: “With an extended city and a rising population, Cork City Council has a strong demand for homes in the coming years and the Council proposes to deliver an expanded programme of social, affordable, and mixed-tenure schemes. Affordable or mixed tenure schemes may include provision for cost rental delivery in partnership with an Approved Housing Body (AHB).”

Up to 584 homes have been delivered or are on course to be produced from previous competitive dialogue rounds.  Completed schemes include Arus Mhuire in Blackrock, White Street (Rutland Square), Blarney Street, and High Street.  Competitive Dialogue is also a driver for the redevelopment of derelict or underutilised urban sites eg High Street, White Street, Blarney Street, as well as many others that are about to start construction.

The Council Invitation for Expressions of Interest to Participate in the Cork City Council Housing Programme 2021-2023 can be found on E-tenders and the closing date for submission is 7 April 2021.