Cork City Council's €550,000 spend on shutters for vacant and derelict buildings
Over half a million was spent on shutters to secure council-owned vacant and derelict properties over five years, according information released under Freedom of Information.
Over half a million euros was spent on shutters for council-owned vacant and derelict properties in Cork city over a five year period, a Tripe + Drisheen Freedom of Information request has revealed.
€546,943 was spent between 2017 and 2021 on security shuttering on windows and doors, with 2019 the single biggest spend, when shutters cost €121,343.
Cork City Council don’t own the distinctive grey shutters, but have a contract with a private company for their installation and upkeep.
A single Ballincollig-based company, Dwellguard Ltd, was awarded the contract to install, maintain and refurbish security shutters on the windows and doors of council-owned vacant and derelict properties in September 2019 following the city boundary extension in May 2019.
According to tendering documents which can be viewed on the e-tenders website, the contract is for weekly installation and upkeep of shuttering at an estimated 90-100 city properties, as well as an average of 20 emergency call-outs per year.
“Cork City Council has an ongoing requirement to ‘shutter’ vacant social housing units that may be vulnerable to vandalism, trespass or antisocial behaviour while vacant,” a council press spokesperson said in response to a query from Tripe + Drisheen.
Three companies applied for the tender, according to Cork City Council: “The most favourable contractor was offered, accepted and appointed as a single operator Framework Participant and the remaining bidders were listed on the Framework Agreement as Reserve Participants.”
“Cork City Council are not in a position to manage and deliver this service in-house.”
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