Planning Permission for Ireland’s largest social and affordable housing scheme

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council in partnership with the Land Development Agency (LDA) have received confirmation of full planning permission being granted for a development of 597 new homes at Shanganagh, Co Dublin.

This is currently Ireland’s largest proposed social and affordable scheme to receive planning permission.

100% of the proposed development is for social and affordable homes, with two thirds allocated to affordable homes for both rent and purchase, and a third to social housing. The affordable purchase homes will be provided by way of the government’s upcoming shared ownership scheme. The affordable rental homes will be provided through cost rental, which is a new form of tenure in Ireland. Long term security of tenure will be provided for the rental homes.

These tenures provide a solution for households who struggle to pay private housing costs, including essential and key workers who play a vital role in supporting Ireland’s society and economy.

The development will offer a mix of accommodation suitable for larger and smaller families, couples and single people.  Construction is expected to start on the site in the first half of 2021, subject to the final decision of the Council’s Elected Members and government approval.

The site occupies approximately 9 hectares adjacent to Shanganagh Castle, Shanganagh Park and Castle Farm and will be within 10 minutes’ walk of the proposed DART station at Woodbrook and BusConnects route on the nearby Dublin Road (N11).

The approval for 597 new homes consists of:

200 social homes

91 homes that will be available for purchase under an affordable purchase scheme

306 affordable cost-rental homes.

The development has been designed to the highest international environmental and sustainability standards and will be one of the largest in Europe to achieve the ‘passive house’ low energy use standard. Sustainability features include very low energy demand, a very low car parking provision (0.56 spaces per home), a very high bicycle parking provision of over 1,300 spaces, design features to make working from home easier, and significant features to promote a fully integrated community.

The development is consistent with the Council’s ambition to exceed its housing targets and the LDA’s mandate to deliver affordable new homes on publicly owned land, helping to address the current supply shortage and to make access to homes more affordable for both buyers and renters.

An Cathaoirleach, Councillor Una Power (Green Party) said: “The achievement of full planning permission for our project in Shanganagh is excellent news for people looking to buy or rent a home in our County at an affordable cost and will make a significant contribution to meeting the Council’s social housing requirements.

The development will offer people an attractive place to live that is close to key transport links and supported by a wide range of local amenities.  It will also serve as a flagship for sustainable development with best in class environmental practice incorporated into the project from the outset.

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Chief Executive, Philomena Poole said: “This planning grant is one of the most significant steps forward in delivery of housing in dlr and it underlines the Council’s commitment to delivering affordable homes for people at all income levels within the County. It also demonstrates our focus on delivering high-quality homes, built to the highest standards and adhering to the latest sustainable design techniques. Our partnership with the LDA was crucial to this project and we look forward to continuing to work in partnership with them to complete these homes and have people living in them as soon as possible.”

LDA Chief Executive John Coleman said: “This major planning approval is a testament to the close partnership that the Council and the LDA have developed over the past 18 months. It proves the value of the LDA working closely with local authority partners, which provides new ways of delivering new affordable homes on council land. We look forward to bringing this scheme to the next and most important stage – the construction of the new homes. We are already working on the preparation of the construction tender process. We appreciate the continued support and collaboration of the Council’s executive team and Elected Members.”

The types of homes available will include:

51 terraced and semi-detached houses consisting of 21 two beds and 30 three beds

546 apartments consisting of 2 four-beds, 99 three-beds, 302 two-beds, 165 1-beds and 29 studios.

The proposed development will include significant work on infrastructure, site services, water, wastewater, hydrological, ecological protection and landscaping works, together with space for parking of 365 cars and over 1,300 bicycles.

The Council and LDA have made significant progress on the detailed design and performance specification of the scheme in parallel with the planning determination period, which demonstrates the willingness of all parties involved to expedite the delivery of much needed homes by the State on public lands. They also intend to launch a public tender competition for a contractor in the coming months.

Source: Irish Building