Council’s ongoing commitment to promote participation in Four Multi-Use Games Areas developed in Crinkle, community activities, through the support of both cultural Edenderry, Portarlington and Rahan. and environmental programmes. Some of the more noteworthy achievements in 2012 Improving co-ordination of public services and reducing would include: costs without impacting negatively on customers is an enormous challenge. Achieving positive outcomes against Tullamore Waste Water Treatment Plant opened; this background would not happen without the collective National Waste Collection Permitting Office established input of the Elected Members, Chairpersons and Members with Offaly County Council the single nominated of the Strategic Policy Committees, the Corporate Policy authority for issuing and reviewing Waste Collection Committee, Area Committees, Management Team and Permits; Staff, together with the many voluntary and community organisations with whom the Council engages on a Tullamore Central Library refurbishment completed and frequent basis. It is this spirit of collaboration and opened in August with record visits and loans; cooperation that has always been the hallmark of Offaly In partnership with Offaly Local Development Job Local Authorities, and it may be hoped that this approach Resource Centres were established in libraries has been adequately reflected within these pages. throughout the county; Arts Plan 2012-2016 launched; Development commenced on Mount Lucas Wind Farm; William Grant & Sons announced proposal to develop Tullamore Dew distillery, warehousing facility and visitor centre in Clonminch, Tullamore; Jig Saw Project established; Mortgage to Rent Scheme introduced; Emergency Homeless Accommodation, managed by Simon and Tullamore Housing Association, opened; Offaly Local Authorities Annual Report 2012 2 CONTENTS (To Go Directly To Any Chapter Please Highlight and Click) Housing, Social and Cultural Services 4 Tullamore Town Council 91 Housing Department 4 Edenderry Town Council 93 Library Service 15 Birr Town Council 96 Arts Service 21 Environment and Water Services 28 Water Services 29 Environment 33 Planning, Economic and Local Development 43 Planning Department 43 Members of Offaly County Council 77 Economic Development 50 Heritage 53 Service Indicators 2012 98 Community and Enterprise 57 Roads and Emergency Services 61 Roads Department 61 Fire Services 71 Internal Services 73 Corporate Services 73 Finance 82 Human Resources 87 Information Systems 90 Offaly Local Authorities Annual Report 2012 3 HOUSING, SOCIAL & CULTURAL SERVICES SPC Chair Molly Buckley MCC / Nichola Hogan MCC Director Of Services Seán Murray Senior Executive Officer Dermot Mahon, Housing Members Sectoral Senior Executive Engineer Martin Quinn, Housing Cllr. Paddy Rowland Ms. Susan Ryan County Librarian Mary Stuart Cllr. Sinead Moylan-Ryan Ms. Tessy Doyle Arts Officer Sinead O’Reilly Cllr. John Carroll Mr. Joe O’Brien Cllr. Nicola Hogan Cllr. Finian O’Neill HOUSING DEPARTMENT Achievements and Constraints mortgage arrears. It is expected that this trend will continue There was a further increase in the number of and indeed increase in 2013 as more homeowners find applications for social housing supports in 2012 due to themselves in the repossession process. A new Mortgage to the ongoing economic downturn. 333 complete and Rent Scheme was introduced in 2012 to assist home owners validated applications were received in 2012 with each remain in their homes under tenancy arrangements. applicant attending an assessment interview. In addition, c.75 applications were received but rejected as The number of RAS / Leasing transfers achieved was 58. In incomplete. 323 applications were approved following addition, the waiting time for housing assessments was kept assessment. 650 approved applicants were on the to a minimum due to the ongoing commitment of staff in Housing list at year end. Increasing demand for social providing quality customer services. 30 long-term and casual housing together with capital budget restrictions made it voids were brought back into stock. increasingly difficult for the Council to fully respond to the housing needs in the County. Meeting customer demands for housing adaptation, housing aid for older persons and mobility grants continued to be a A challenge to all areas of housing provision in 2012 was challenge. 57 grants were issued to the value of €875,000. the increase in the number of applicants who are or have previously been home owners and who have fallen into Offaly Local Authorities Annual Report 2012 4 with works to completed in early 2012. Social and Voluntary Housing Output The housing stock stood at 1,089 at year end with an average occupancy rate of 98.5%. 103 tenancies were allocated in 2012 (compared to 108 in 2011) comprising: - 5 under new housing acquisitions - 30 under re-let of existing stock, - 58 under the Social Leasing and RAS schemes, - 2 allocated Halting Site units, Houses acquired at Frankford, Kilcormac - 8 nominations to voluntary bodies. No new social housing units commenced construction during Continued suspension of Estate Management grants made the year but provisional approval for the construction of 8 it more difficult to engage with residents groups or to units for older persons in Banagher has been received and plan additional estate improvement works. Despite this, work is expected to commence in late 2013. The Offaly Local considerable progress was made in dealing with anti- Authorities housing capital drawdown for 2012 was €3.2m social behaviour complaints and estate management compared to €13m in 2010. The 2012 allocation enabled issues in a number of locations. Emergency Homeless acquisition of 5 units in Kilcormac, conversion of 6 unsold Accommodation was opened in Tullamore with affordable units to social in Clara and the resolution of a Department approval received for a 6 unit facility number of outstanding final accounts. It is anticipated that managed by Midlands Simon in partnership with the combined capital budget for 2013 will be again be Tullamore Housing Association. substantially reduced and will restrict activity to pre approved schemes. A Tenancy Deposit Scheme was successfully Funding was secured under the Sustainable Communities introduced in 2012 for all new allocations. Fund for remedial schemes at Mooney Terrace, Kilcormac Approval was granted under the CAS Scheme for a new build and St. Oliver’s Estate, Geashill with works completed in 6 unit development for the intellectually disabled at Moylena, early 2012. Funding was also secured for the Tullamore and it is expected that work on this project will be development of Multi-Use Games Areas at four locations completed in 2013. A total of 117 units of accommodation Offaly Local Authorities Annual Report 2012 5 have been provided in Offaly under the CAS scheme to agreement with the Town Councils. Funding in the region of date. CAS funding of €800,000 was approved for Tuath €425,000 was expended on pre-let repairs / energy efficiency Housing Association for the acquisition of 5 units in upgrading to 30 houses that in some cases required Edenderry. Cluid Housing Association acquired 8 two considerable renovation prior to re-let. bedroom units in Edenderry under the Leasing Scheme. These units were occupied by applicants from the Council’s social housing under a Payment and Availability Agreement. Housing Maintenance and Pre-Let Repairs Housing maintenance repairs continued throughout 2012 despite a significant reduction in the budget available and progress was made in bringing back into use homes that were void for periods of time. A review of Housing Maintenance structures was commenced in 2012 with proposals to reduce the number of maintenance areas from five to three across revised boundary areas being Unit in Grove St (pre-let)… …Completed and ready for considered. Proposals to rebalance staff compliments in allocation each area are also under consideration. Due to non replacement of staff it has become increasingly Regeneration and Remedial Works Programmes necessary to contract out housing maintenance works Remedial works schemes costing €90,000 were completed at where local resources are no longer available. Funding Mooney Terrace, Kilcormac and St. Oliver’s Estate Geashill will be required from ICR’s in 2013 to undertake some with €70,000 secured under the Department’s Sustainable planned maintenance to older stock including Communities Fund and the balance from own resources. requirements under revised septic tank regulations. Fencing contracts to secure land holdings and complete boundary remedial works in a number of local authority A panel of small works contractors was set up in 2008 estates were completed during the year. Remedial works and houses in need of major refurbishment continue to schemes costing c.€90,000 were also commenced at be contracted out to speed up turnaround time. This Meadowlands, Kilcormac, Hill View Cloghan, The Walk Kinnity panel will be reviewed in 2013 to reflect shared service and Clonmullen Edenderry. Works include enhanced car Offaly Local Authorities Annual Report 2012 6 parking facilities, landscaping, boundary walls, back lane Council provided funding for two demountable dwellings. and footpath restoration, road lining, signage and There was considerable progress in reducing the DPG list in drainage works. Each scheme was considered following 2011 with 12 Disabled Persons Grants projects completed at consultation with local residents and will be