Clara social housing project delayed after contractor's withdrawal

Plans for a significant social housing project on the outskirts of Clara have been delayed, it has emerged.

Work on the 38-house project at Raheen, Clara, was due to commence shortly but it has now emerged that the proposed contractor has withdrawn from the project.

As a result, Offaly County Council will now have to re-tender the project and seek fresh approval from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government for the tender.

Last year, the council granted planning approval for the project, following the completion of the Part VIII process by which local authorities consult with the public on local authority projects.

The development is for 38 dwellings, including six one-bed single-storey buildings, two two-bed bungalows, 12 two-bed two-storey terrace units, one three-bed bungalow, 14 three-bed two-storey semi-detached units, one four-bed bungalow and two four-bed semi-detached units.

A recent meeting of Offaly County Council heard, however, that the preferred tenderer had pulled out of the project citing “material hyperinflation costs” as the reason.

The council has said it will now re-tender the project and intends to seek approval from the Department in July for a new tender.

The council had secured approval for the tender in February last and issued a letter of intent to the preferred tenderer in April.

A total of €10,665,075 was granted to Offaly County Council in 2019 for the project.

It is to be built on a greenfield site just off the end of Church Street as it veers sharply right towards Tubber and is located between the R420 (road to Tubber) and the local road.

The houses will be accessed directly from the existing local road L2017.

There are also plans to construct two controlled pedestrian crossings to the R420, along with the realignment of the junction of the L20157 Local Road with the R420 Regional Road, as well as the provision of a new footpath to the R420 and L2017.