Local Authority News - Vol. 41. No. 1

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LAN 41 No 1:Layout 1

25/07/2022

13:06

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Residents reap benefits from Sligoʼs €6m retrofitting scheme for Local Authority housing

Householders Anthony Looby and Marian Byrne pictured with Míċeál McGinty, Senior Executive Architect on the Cranmore Regeneration Project for Sligo County Council

As a design and logistical feat, Sligo County Councilʼs €6million scheme to retrofit more than 225 public and privately owned houses should be very much the envy of local authorities around the country. Indeed, turning poorly insulated 1970s public housing into A-rated homes by removing chimneys and fireplaces, and replacing immersion systems with air-to-water heat pumps and energy efficient condensing boilers, posed a number of challenges for the organisers of the Cranmore Regeneration Project. The homes in the Cranmore estate in Sligo town were first surveyed to identify those most in need of the works. This was followed by public consultations in which representations were made to residents and consent was sought. Alternative accommodation in the same estate was also required to house those who volunteered for the duration of the works. There were design and structural challenges, too, with Sligo County Council not only providing the heat pump but also upgrading the very fabric of the homes – putting in ventilation, insulation and materials to prevent heat escape. Although the original four-month timeline became protracted due to the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Cranmore Regeneration Project has produced life-changing results for residents.

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