The Land Development Agency’s purchase of lands on Dublin’s northside, which will deliver a new community involving cost rental, affordable purchase and social housing, will be the biggest State housing project in decades. With planning permission already in place for over 1,800 homes, the development also has the potential to deliver over 2,300 affordable and social homes.
The €44 million deal involves two adjoining sites in Clongriffin on Dublin’s northside, which now effectively form one site, were previously controlled by the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA). The lands – known as Project Capital North and Barina – amount to a total of 13.2-hectares, 11.1 and 2.1-hectares respectively. There is existing planning permission for 1,823 units on Project Capital North as well as some commercial developments.
The Barina site adjoins the Project Capital North land and has the potential to accommodate up to 500 homes. It was previously subject to successful housing planning applications, which have now lapsed.
The entire site is located next to the railway station in Clongriffin, Dublin 13, and both pieces of land are zoned for residential use in Dublin City Council’s local area plan.
John Coleman, LDA’s Chief Executive, said: “This is a significant strategic purchase by the LDA and a major development for the provision of State-owned affordable housing. These lands are superbly located and well-connected with the potential to ultimately deliver about 2,300 affordable and social homes. The purchase has involved an upfront financial cost to the LDA of around €19,000 per home, which is low in comparison to the overall delivery cost.
“We are fully confident that the site’s potential to deliver a high level of housing and to allow the creation of a new well-served and vibrant community means we can absorb this cost and still deliver on our remit to deliver affordable and social housing.
“The LDA is already working on the direct delivery of over 6,500 homes on State-owned sites and this strategic purchase means we now have a delivery pipeline of over 8,800 homes with more to come. It also means the LDA is on course to become one of the largest homebuilders in the country, delivering not just homes, but vibrant and sustainable new communities.”
The LDA’s first direct delivery homes will be delivered in 2024 in Shanganagh in Dublin in partnership with Dun Laoghaire County Council, which Coleman said will be the beginning of “a steady and sustainable supply as we continue to add to our portfolio”. This will be in addition to the delivery of at least 5,000 cost rental and affordable purchase homes through the LDA’s Project Tosaigh initiative with further announcements due soon.
