A further six social housing units have been delivered via the Repair and Lease scheme in the former Bolger’s Pub site on Gracedieu Road in Waterford City.
Three one-bedroom apartments, two one-bed studios and one two-bedroom apartment have been delivered under the scheme by local contractors Walsh & Sheehan.
Speaking following a visit to the new apartments, Senator John Cummins said that the Repair and Lease scheme has been a tremendous success in Waterford.
"It has delivered much needed one and two bedroom accommodation in vacant and often derelict buildings throughout the city which has the dual benefit of providing much needed accommodation and cleaning up areas of the city. Waterford continues to lead the way in the delivery of Repair and Lease units nationally. In recently published figures to the end of quarter one 2022, Waterford City & County Council delivered 46% of the national total which is great for us here in Waterford but goes to show the opportunity which is being missed by Local Authorities across the country”.
“There are still eight Local Authorities which haven’t delivered a single unit under the scheme and only six Local Authorities have delivered units in the double digits. Personally, I believe this is unacceptable, everyone knows of derelict and vacant properties across the country and there is no longer an excuse for them remaining so."
Changes in legislation
Senator Cummins has detailed changes in legislation which are now in place to allow former vacant pubs to be converted to housing without the requirement for planning.
“I brought forward changes through the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage to extend the exemption from planning to convert certain commercial buildings into housing without the requirement for planning to former public houses and I am grateful to Minister O’Brien for taking them on board. While Bolger’s went through the planning process prior to these changes coming into force, it is the perfect of example of what can now be achieved without the requirement for planning which is obviously going to speed up delivery of such units going forward."
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