Work to start soon on major Clara social housing scheme

Work on a 38-unit social housing project in Clara is due to commence in the next two months, it has emerged.

Offaly County Council Chief Executive Anna Marie Delaney notified councillors at their January meeting last week that a preferred tenderer had been selected for the work at Raheen and that the project was now scheduled to start on site in the first quarter of 2023.

She confirmed the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage had issued renewed approval for the work in October.

It's the second time tenders had been sought for the project

Work on the housing scheme was due to commence in Spring of 2022 but was delayed after the proposed contractor withdrew from the project citing material hyperinflation costs as the reason.

Offaly County Council then retendered the project, seeking a contractor to construct the housing and associated site development and external works.

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.

It is to be built on a greenfield site just off the end of Church Street as it veers sharply right towards Tubber.

There are also plans to construct two controlled pedestrian crossings.

A public consultation process on the council's plans was held in early 2021.