Buncrana Town Council's
public housing portfolio is currently valued at
nearly €15m, recent figures show.
They show that in the seven-year period from 2000 to
2006 inclusive, the local authority spent a total of
€19.5m on turnkey schemes, new builds and other
capital projects in the town and environs. This
equates to an average yearly spend of €2.8m.
A breakdown of the seven-year spend shows that new
turnkey housing builds cost the local authority
€14,926,000; housing construction, €390,000; the
acquisition of private dwellings and apartments,
€3,804,000; extensions to council houses, €203,000;
installation of central heating, €87,000; remedial
works to older people's dwellings, €10,000 and the
replacement of doors and windows in older stock,
€74,000. The total value of the current public
housing stock is €14.8m.
The figures were outlined to councillors recently in
a report compiled for the outgoing Mayor, Cllr. Joe
Doherty. They also show that the local authority
currently has 157 tenants in existing housing
schemes. A further 16 apartments will be constructed
in two locations in the town in 2007 while work will
also begin on the three new disability and older
person dwellings.
"This year will see the implementation of the Rental
Accommodation Scheme in Buncrana whereby tenants on
rent supplement will have the option of remaining in
their existing accommodation and paying rent to the
Council the same as other Council tenants,"
according to the report.
Meanwhile, the Department of the Environment has
approved a budget for a revamp of public houses
built in Buncrana more than 20 years ago. This will
cost an estimated €255,000. It will include the
replacement of chimneys, windows, doors, facia,
soffits and guttering; rewiring and extensions to
two houses.
The renovation of vacant housing stock for the
purpose of re-letting will be carried out to a much
higher standard from this year onwards, the report
stated. |
