Lift off finally in site for new council homes in Laois town

Laois County Council has invited bids from contractors for the construction of 26 new residential units in Stradbally which been in the pipeline since before the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, it's likely to be 2024 before anyone gets their keys to new homes as the council does not expect to be in a position to sign a contract with builders until June 2023.

While a new community centre is not part of the project, the local authority has pencilled it into new plans made available for developers.

A tender published in late November 2022, says development at Carraig Glass will consist of a mix of single storey and two storey dwellings and associated site works, perimeter boundaries, access roads, car park and associated landscaping works.

The project comprises seven single storey dwellings and 19 two storey dwellings. 

The site is located off the Main Street (N80) in Stradbally. 

The council says the proposed development will be accessed from an upgraded existing entrance onto the N80 which is located between two existing properties. 

The homes will front onto a new public open green space and a future community development in the centre of the site.

Potential bidders have been told that the site is bounded to the wes t and south by residential dwellings and to the North along the N80 Carlow Road (Main Street) by residential dwellings.

It had been hoped that construction work could already have been completed on the project. The council completed the first step of seeking tenders from design teams to draw up the plans by March 2019. 

At the time the Government aimed to build new housing within 59 weeks so there was some expectation that the first phase of Carraig Glas could be ready in 2020. 

Laois County Council finally got the green light from councillors to proceed in 2021. During the consultation process that preceded this a site map did not include the location of the proposed community centre. This has been added in the documens provided to developers who are interested in building the new homes. See below maps.

Above the map published in 2021 without the community centre included and below the plan published in 2022 with the centre factored in.

 Details were also published in 2021 about the types of homes to be built. They were as follows: 

• TYPE A, 2 bed, 2 storey mid -terrace, (6 no).
• TYPE A, 2 bed, 2 storey end -terrace, (4 no).
• TYPE B, 3 bed, 2 storey end -terrace, (2 no). 
• TYPE B1, 3 bed, 2 storey end -terrace, (2 no). 
• TYPE B2, 3 bed, 2 storey mid -terrace, (3 no). 
• TYPE D, 4 bed 2 storey end units (1 no).
• TYPE D1, 4 bed 2 storey end units (1 no).
• Type E1, 1 bed 1 storey end unit (1 no.).
• Type F1, 1 bed 1 storey end unit (3 no.).
• Type F2, 1 bed 1 storey end unit (3 no.). 

A total of 50 carparking spaces, including 2 accessible parking spaces, are also planned.

Bidders have until January 20, 2023 top respond and the tender is valid until March 1 2023. The planned award date is June 8, 2023.