Planning permission has been sought for the construction of more than 850 homes at Oscar Traynor Road in Coolock, north Dublin, almost eight years after the redevelopment scheme was first proposed.
Glenveagh Living, a subsidiary of Glenveagh Properties, formally applied for permission in respect of the proposed development on Wednesday.
The plans propose the delivery of 853 homes, as well as designated public space and community amenities for the Coolock, Beaumont, Santry and Kilmore areas.
Glenveagh was selected to partner on the development with Dublin City Council following a tender by the local authority.
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Under the agreement, 40 per cent of the homes will be used for social housing, 40 per cent for cost-rental homes, and 20 per cent sold to low- and middle-income workers qualifying for the affordable purchase scheme.
The deal was approved one year after councillors rejected an earlier agreement with Glenveagh which would have resulted in 30 per cent social housing, 20 per cent affordable housing and 50 per cent of the homes sold privately by the developer.
Dublin City Council chief executive Owen Keegan previously expressed “serious reservations” over the plans. “The management view is we have serious reservations, in particular about the decision to have no private housing,” he said.
The 17-hectare site at the Santry end of Oscar Traynor Road, just to the east of the entrance to the Dublin Tunnel, was bought by the council in the 1980s.
It was the subject of a number of proposed industrial, recreational and housing schemes, but despite it being surrounded by housing estates built in the 1970s and 1980s, none of the planned schemes ever came to fruition.
In early 2015 the council’s housing department produced a plan for the redevelopment of vacant council land, including Oscar Traynor Road, in what was its first major housing development programme since the property crash.
The current scheme will include 240 houses, and 613 apartments and duplex units up to six storeys tall. All homes will be A-rated for energy efficiency and will incorporate sustainable and renewable technologies.
Glenveagh has indicated it will be in a position to begin work at the site from the end of next year with a view to the first houses being completed by late 2024. The entire project is expected to be developed over four years.
About 20 per cent of the overall site will be designated as public space, with public parks and biodiverse green spaces, allotments, woodlands, cycle trails, and play areas. There are also plans for a mixed-use community centre and a childcare centre.
Wesley Rothwell of Glenveagh Properties said: “For this project, we have worked in a ground-breaking partnership structure with Dublin City Council and we have worked very closely with the local community, local residents’ associations and local councillors.
“This is one of the outstanding sites in Dublin and we are committed to delivering this much-needed housing as well as amenities to Coolock and the surrounding areas of Santry, Beaumont and Kilmore.”
Lord Mayor of Dublin Caroline Conroy added: “The submission of the planning application is a very significant moment for the Oscar Traynor Road project. This scheme will deliver 853 public homes over the next few years if planning is successful.
“The council would like to acknowledge the work of all the stakeholders in the pre-submission phase including Glenveagh Living, the local community and consultative forum, the DCC project team and to also recognise the support of the local councillors.”
