Saga ends as Coopers Gate residents move into their new homes after long delays
Tenants finally received keys from April 29th after months of delays and uncertainty
After months of delays, uncertainty and mounting criticism, residents have finally moved into the long awaited homes at the Coopers Gate development on Old Road in Cashel.
Tenants began moving in from April 29th at the 44-home scheme, delivered in partnership with the Approved Housing Body, Respond. The development had become the focus of growing frustration among local councillors and affected families after repeated setbacks pushed occupancy well beyond the original timeline.
Allocations for phase two of the development had been made as far back as September and October of last year, with many tenants expecting to be in their homes before Christmas. Instead, some families found themselves overholding in rented accommodation, paying double rent or relying on relatives and friends for temporary shelter.
At a meeting of the Tipperary-Cahir-Cashel Municipal District earlier this year, councillors sharply criticised both the delays and the communication surrounding the scheme. Fine Gael councillor Declan Burgess said the prolonged process had placed enormous pressure on families who believed they were only weeks away from moving into permanent accommodation.
“The goalposts kept changing and there was very little communication from Respond to Tipperary County Council let alone the tenants that were allocated these homes last September. So it has been a long process,” he said.
Cllr Burgess said the experience should serve as a lesson for future housing projects involving Approved Housing Bodies. “There is always going to be building delays and contractual delays between developers and approved housing bodies but we should not start an allocation process until nine weeks before the house is going to be ready,” he said.
He added, “Families that intended to be in there for Christmas have got their keys the last week of April.”
The Tipperary Star contacted Respond for comment. Respond issued the following statement: “The homes at Coopers Gate were delayed due to a number of final external and infrastructure works, including access arrangements and associated services, which had to be completed by the developer. These works were necessary to ensure the homes could be safely and fully accessed before tenants moved in.”
Respond said its housing team “remained in direct contact with affected households throughout this period” and that, where possible, it “provided interim support and accommodation solutions” while outstanding works were being completed.
That account has been contradicted by local representatives. Cllr Liam Browne told the Tipperary Star: “in my experience that is not what I encountered with the people I dealt with who had got nominations to the houses, he said.” “I felt that Respond were not very forthcoming with information to their nominated residents, who did not really know where they stood for a long period of time.”
He added, “I am surprised to hear that they were providing accommodation solutions because I can tell you some of the housing solutions of the people I was dealing with were ad hoc at best.”
Respond did also confirm in their statement that it waived the first two weeks’ rent for tenants affected by the postponements.
Further homes are still to come at Coopers Gate, with a third phase of approximately 16 units, all mainly three-bedroom houses. The allocation process is due to commence in a number of weeks.