Annual Budget 2009 - Roscommon County Council

Division A | Housing and Building
A
Housing and Building
A01 Maintenance / Improvement of LA Housing Units
The level of expenditure for the management, maintenance, repair and improvement of Local Authority housing
included for 2009 is €2,362,800, a reduction of 4% on the 2008 Budget. This figure includes for the repair and
refurbishment of casual vacancies that may arise to ensure that they are available for re-letting as quickly as
possible. Approximately 65% of the Council’s housing stock is under 10 years old.
Work has continued on the upgrading of the Council’s housing stock. The central heating programme that
commenced in 2005 is substantially complete. The Council was allocated €150,000 in 2008 for this work. This
grant represents 80% of the cost of the work, subject to a maximum grant of €6,000 per house. The balance of
20% of the cost of the work is funded directly from Internal Capital Receipts.
Under this programme 153 houses have been provided with central heating in all Engineering Areas with a small
balance to complete in 2009.
The replacement of windows and doors in local authority houses continued in 2008. Under this scheme 127 houses
have been completed in all Engineering Areas. The scheme is funded fully from Internal Capital Receipts.
Electrical refurbishment including smoke/heat alarms, upgrading of cavity insulation and replacement of
soffits/fascias/gutters and down pipes commenced in 2008. It is proposed to continue with further phases of these
works where the need is identified, subject to available funds. These schemes are also funded from Internal Capital
Receipts.
Social Housing Investment Programme (SHIP)
Roscommon County Council were notified of a capital housing allocation of €8,000,000 to cover expenditure under
the 2008 Housing Programme and a capital allocation of €400,000 for the provision of Traveller accommodation.
A total of 103 houses were completed in 2008. The indicative budget for 2009 is €7,000,000.
There are a number of housing schemes under construction at Roscommon, Boyle, Monksland (3 No.), with rural
houses at Knockcroghery and Elphin. Approval from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local
Government for further schemes at Roscommon and Boyle is awaited.
Social houses will be delivered by a combination of construction of houses on our own land, house purchases and
acquisition of houses under PART V Agreements.
Traveller Accommodation
The existing Four Year Traveller Accommodation Programme 2005-2008 which was adopted by Roscommon
County Council on 21st March 2005 will expire on 31st December 2008.
The Minister for Housing, Urban Renewal and Developing Areas has, under Section 10(1) of the Housing (Traveller
Accommodation) Act, 1998, directed that the next accommodation programme should be for a period of five years.
The new five-year programme will cover the period 1st January 2009 to 31st December 2013. Under Section 7 (4)
of the Act the Minister has specified 30 April 2009 as the date by which the accommodation programme must be
adopted.
Roscommon County Council has prepared a Draft Roscommon Traveller Accommodation Programme for the
period 2009-2013 and it has been placed on public display for a two month period. Regard will be had to any
submissions or observations made in writing in relation to the Draft Traveller Accommodation Programme 2009-
2013 on or before the 16th January 2009.
28 Roscommon County Council | Comhairle Chontae Ros Comain | Adopted Budget 2009 | For year ended 31st December 2009