No developer interest in affordable housing scheme in Tullamore
Offaly County Council has received no expressions of interest from home builders or developers in response to a call for proposals for an affordable housing scheme in Tullamore.
The council had invited home builders and housing developers to submit proposals for between five and 10 affordable homes or apartments, consisting of a mix of two- and three-bedroom properties in the urban area of Tullamore.
The properties were also required to be close to services within the urban settlement of Tullamore, and to be within walking distance of shops, schools and other local amenities.
Housing Design and Construction Standards must meet the requirements of all relevant statutory planning and building control requirements.
The closing date for expressions of interest was 4pm on May 27.
The council recently confirmed to members that no responses had been received by the deadline.
Under the proposed scheme, it was envisaged that the council would work with developers to deliver homes through the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme. The initiative has recently been rebranded as Starter Home Purchase Scheme.
Eligible purchasers would buy directly from the developer, with the council taking an equity share in the property to bridge the gap between the purchaser’s mortgage, deposit and the market value of the home.
The council noted the lack of interest was "disappointing" but said the recent proposed variation to the County Development Plan would make additional residentially zoned land available and could create further opportunities for both private and affordable housing development across Offaly.
The council intends to look at the Government’s First Home Scheme, which targets a similar group of prospective homeowners and has already resulted in 50 homes being made available in Offaly. It was noted that the application process under the First Home Scheme is less restrictive.
The next step for the council is to engage directly with developers who are active in Offaly to explore all available options for delivering an affordable housing scheme.
Plans to seek affordable housing expressions of interest in the Birr and Edenderry Municipal Districts have not been shelved though, as the council said it would engage further with developers on the issue.
The council’s original initiative forms part of the wider Government housing strategy, Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025–2030, which aims to increase housing supply and support the development of sustainable, mixed-tenure communities.
Offaly County Council has stated that increasing the availability of affordable housing through mechanisms such as the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme remains an objective.