Construction BUSINESS

Fingal County Council has welcomed the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office which show that 2,140 homes were completed in the county over the past year, accounting for almost 12% of the national total. Latest data from the CSO shows that the Dublin 15 had the highest level of activity in the country with 800 completed. In total 18,072 completed builds were recorded across the State.

Breaking down the figures from the Dublin region, which saw 6,924 homes completed, Fingal accounted for just under one third of all activity in the entire county.

According to Fingal County Council’s own figures, the number of sites actively under construction jumped to 79, up from 71 at the end of 2017, an 11.3% increase. And this has further boosted the number of units under construction, with 2,527 homes underway last year, up 15% from 2017 which showed a return of 2,200 properties.

Areas in the county where construction activity and completions have accelerated over the past 12 months include the Hansfield Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) in Dublin 15, where 175 units were under construction at the end of Q4 2018. Overall a total of 858 properties have been completed on this site.

With the completion of the LIHAF-funded Donabate Distributor road later in 2019, significant further development will be facilitated. 206 units are currently under construction here, up from 182 units in the previous quarter. The Oldtown/Mooretown site in Swords, Donabate, the former Phoenix Park Racecourse and Balbriggan also show continued strong activity, according to Fingal County Council figures.

Interestingly as construction activity ramps up, there has also been a significant jump in the number of apartments under construction, with a 23% rise in this category during 2018 compared to the previous 12 months. According to Fingal County Council figures there are now 913 apartments under construction, which will lead to a significant upward trend in completions in this area during 2019.

Furthermore, building is not just confined to urban areas, with a 26% increase recorded in Fingal’s rural villages in the 12-month period to the end of September 2018. Villages such as Kinsealy, Ballyboughal, Naul, Garristown, and Rowlestown are performing well in terms of construction activity.

Director of Planning and Strategic Infrastructure AnnMarie Farrelly said: “There are now 79 active housing sites in the county and in excess of 2,500 units are under construction. This indicates that the upward trend in housing delivery will continue this year.”

Fingal County Council Chief Executive Paul Reid said: “Fingal County Council’s proactive approach to infrastructure delivery will ensure the continued availability of serviced land for both residential and economic development.”