Construction BUSINESS

The Land Development Agency (LDA) has completed the purchase of lands in Clongriffin in north Dublin with existing planning permission for over 1,800 homes and the potential to deliver a total of over 2,300 affordable and social units. The adjoining lands, which now effectively form one site, were purchased by the LDA for €44 million from the National Asset Management Agency. The pending development will be the biggest single State housing project in decades with the delivery of a new community involving cost rental, affordable purchase and social housing.

The lands involved are known as Project Capital North and Barina and 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 Clongriffin railway station in Dublin 13 and both pieces of land are zoned for residential use in Dublin City Council’s local area plan.

The purchase significantly increases the LDA’s planned delivery and the Agency now has sites for in excess of 8,000 homes in its short to medium term direct development pipeline, some of which are already under construction and the majority of which are now planning approved and moving to construction.

This direct development is in addition to the delivery of thousands of extra homes as part of the LDA and government’s Project Tosaigh initiative, whereby the LDA steps in to kick-start stalled or unviable private developments and then makes the homes available under affordable purchase or cost rental schemes.

In August, the LDA announced it was also seeking expressions of interest from landowners as part of its plan to purchase privately-owned sites for the further delivery of affordable housing.

Clongriffin is located approximately 9km to the northeast of Dublin City Centre adjacent to Dublin City Council’s boundary with Fingal County Council. It lies between Dublin Airport and the M1/M50 and is located about 2km inland from Baldoyle Bay.

The existing planning permission for the Project Capital North site involves four planning applications. The LDA is planning to initially prioritise the development of two apartment blocks to accelerate the delivery of over 400 homes, while also reassessing and potentially seeking new planning permission for the rest of the site to include new amenities, green space and community facilities.

The LDA has already initiated the process of appointing a contractor to develop these initial apartment blocks on Project Capital North with construction likely to begin in September 2024. It is expected that the first homes will be delivered in 2026.

John Coleman, chief executive of the LDA, 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.”

He added: “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 home builders in the country, delivering not just homes, but vibrant and sustainable new communities. Our first direct delivery homes will be delivered next year in Shanganagh in Dublin in partnership with Dun Laoghaire County Council and this will be the beginning of a steady and sustainable supply as we continue to add to our portfolio. This is in addition to the delivery of at least 5,000 cost rental and affordable purchase homes through our Project Tosaigh initiative with further announcements due soon.”