Committee Reports > List of Committees > Joint > 1980 > Committee on Commercial State-Sponsored Bodies > Report No. 12 - National Building Agency, Limited

APPENDIX 16

LETTER TO CLERK TO JOINT COMMITTEE FROM OFFALY COUNTY COUNCIL

I thank you for your letter of 14th November, 1979, addressed to me as County Manager of Offaly County Council and for letter of the same date addressed to Mr. D. Byrne, Town Clerk, Urban District Council, Tullamore.

I am strongly of the view that the local authorities are capable of providing their own housing given adequate resources. No doubt problems do arise in the case of the major urban areas but again given commitment and resources there seems to be no reason why the local authority could not cope adequately with the situation.

The National Building Agency were requested to deal with two schemes in authorities for which I am responsible namely: Arden Road Housing Scheme under the auspices of Tullamore U.D.C.; Clara Housing Scheme under the auspices of Offaly County Council.

The position in regard to the Tullamore U.D.C. is that the lay-out provides for a total of 278 houses of which:-

It is expected that the balance of the scheme will be completed in two further stages in approximately 1982 and 1984. In the case of the Clara Scheme the total lay-out provided for 58 houses and has been completed in two stages:-

It must be stated, without reservation, that in Tullamore and Clara the schemes have been very successful both from the point of view of the two Councils and from that of the tenants in so far as we are aware of tenant satisfaction. The success is in some way due to the fact that the Building Agency have relied on traditional construction methods and while adhering to traditional type housing have provided reasonable variety in finish. The brief given to the National Building Agency specifically covered this point and the Councils have been happy about the adequacy of the consultation and their involvement in the approving of housing design and construction programme.

Supervision at Clerk of Works level is provided by the Council’s own staff with the Building Agency being responsible for supervision and completion of Contract. We would also record our satisfaction with the procedures for the transfer of the schemes to the local authority on completion and no difficulties have arisen to date in the matter of remedying faults or defects.

Apart from our position, on the matter of principle, as outlined in the commencement of this letter, our experience of the National Building Agency has been most satisfactory.