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22-Unit Council Housing Scheme Officially Opened In Clarecastle

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22-Unit Council Housing Scheme Officially Opened In Clarecastle

Written by Mark Dunphy
Monday, 17 December 2007
Monday 17th December 2007 - Cllr. Patricia McCarthy, Mayor of Clare, officially opened Clare County Council's most recent housing development at Clarecastle on Friday 14th December 2007. Cluain Ard consists of 22 apartments (2x3 bed and 20x2 bed) and is located close to all recreational, social and functional requirements. The development, which was completed earlier this year and presently houses 39 residents, came to fruition as a result of Clare County Council seeking proposals for turnkey developments. It brings to the total of houses under the ownership of Clare County Council to 1365. Commenting on the new scheme, Cllr. Patricia McCarthy, Mayor of Clare, stated, "The design, accessibility and usability of this development are of the highest standard. This was confirmed by the Irish Council for Social Housing, when it shortlisted the scheme for an award at its National Design Competition. Making it to a final, with over 100 entries nationwide, was no mean achievement and being selected as one of 9 finalists was in fact truly deserving." Speaking at the official opening Cllr. Joe Arkins stated "The individual aspects of the house design and external features add to the sense of safety and security, and thus generate a greater enjoyment of the home, the estate and general community. I note that each dwelling has a private, walled back garden, accessible from a patio door in the living area. The upstairs dwellings also have a walled back garden, accessible through a side gate." "What is especially convenient for residents of Cluain Ard is that their homes are just a stone's throw from the local shops, schools, play areas, church, banking and medical facilities. The estate has also brought great vibrancy to this residential area", added Cllr. Arkins. Dan Keane, Estate Management Officer with Clare County Council has worked with a number of residents associations throughout the county and has recently supported the Cluain Ard residents to establish a Residents Association. "This will enable the Residents to avail of environmental and community grants and to enter the annual Best Kept Estates competition", he explained. Mr. Keane continued, "There is a very good working relationship between the Residents Associations and Clare County Council and we are very lucky to have 32 such associations in the county. We only have to examine the results of recent Tidy Towns competitions to see the overall improvements in the county, and this is down to the residents, who volunteer their time, energy and expertise so that the whole community can benefit." Vincent O'Halloran, Housing Officer with Clare County Council praised the work of the Cluain Ard residents and wished them well in their new homes. He said, "We are constantly reminding our residents of the supports that exist and, in particular, our close relationship with the Gardaí, Money Advice and Budgetary Services and officials from the Health Services Executive. We are available to provide assistance and training in a number of areas – health and safety, gardening, fire safety and will be rolling out a number of information sessions in the coming year." Mr. O'Halloran also referred to the recently held pre-tenancy training course and pointed out that there are clear lines of responsibility for both the Council and the residents, in order to maximise the enjoyment of their homes and community. The completion of the Cluain Ard estate has brought the total number of local authority houses to 1365. It is anticipated that Clare County Council's building programme for the next 3 years will add a further 460 houses to the existing stock. Houses provided under the Rental Accommodation scheme, Affordable Housing schemes, as well as Voluntary Houses will complement this figure. According to David Timlin, Director Of Services, Clare County Council "The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government continues to support the development of houses in the county. This, together with other housing services such as the upgrading of existing houses through the Regeneration and Remedial Works schemes, various grants schemes and maintenance and improvement works, will deliver safe, secure and comfortable homes for our customers." "The recently revised guidelines for housing recommend that the ‘life cycle’ factor be a growing part of all future developments. Here, that concept comes to life, as each dwelling has a master bedroom with en-suite facilities, which could also convert into a family room, given it’s generous size of over 17m.sq. All bedrooms have built-in wardrobes, finished to a high standard and ample room for additional accessories. Only the highest standards have been used in installing heat/smoke detectors, safety locks on doors and windows and non-slip surfaces on the kitchen area. The kitchens are generously fitted out with both floor and overhead presses and ample space for electrical appliances. Coordinating tiles decorate the walls and floors and blend nicely with the kitchen units and walls. Internal walls and ceilings, doors and skirting boards are painted", commented Mr. Timlin. "Congratulations and sincere thanks are extended to all who brought this modern development to fruition – in particular, K.C. Developments, Dickie Pyne, Vincent O Halloran, Dan Keane and Michael Williams", concluded Mr. Timlin. -ENDS- Note to Editor: For further information please contact Mark Dunphy of Dunphy Public Relations on 086-8534900 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Mark Dunphy Dunphy Public Relations Clonboula, Connolly, Ennis, County Clare IRELAND www.dunphypr.com This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it 00353-868534900 (Mobile) 00353-656839692 (Fax) Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these?

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