Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown councillors approved the building of a new 80-home development in Leopardstown in south Dublin on Monday night – part of an overall housing programme worth almost €528 million.
The 80-unit development of duplexes and apartments is earmarked for a site bordered by the M50 to the north and Leopardstown Road to the south, opposite the Leopardstown Rise housing estate.
The development will include a mix of social and affordable units.
Councillors who approved the scheme were told the development is one of some 16 housing schemes in various stages of progression which have a projected completion cost of €527,661,299.
The largest of the pipeline of housing projects is a scheme of 597 social and affordable homes currently under way at Shanganagh Castle, Shankill. The next largest is a development of 300 proposed for Ballyman, near the Co Wicklow border, which is at preliminary design stage.
A further development of 129 homes earmarked for Blackglen Road in Sandyford is also at preliminary design stage, as are 100 homes proposed for a site at Lehaunstown, near Cabinteely.
The list of proposed and current developments includes 24 homes at a site at Mount Anville, Dublin 14, and a single three-bedroom house at Cross Avenue, Dún Laoghaire.
Councillors at Monday night’s meeting were also supplied with a report from chief executive Frank Curran in which it was revealed the council received 640 applications for just 30 three-bedroom homes at Woodbrook, Shankill. The application portal was open for three weeks in April.
The report also noted public submissions opened in March on a further proposed council development at Mount St Mary’s, Dundrum Road, Dublin 14. This proposal is for 129 apartments in three blocks.
While the councillors were unanimous in their approval for the 80-unit development at the Leopardstown Road site, some councillors expressed reservations at what they saw as a shortage of parking spaces on site.
Fianna Fáil councillor Michael Clark said the reality was that 64 car-parking spaces was not enough for 80 apartments “even if they use public transport five days a week and cycle six days a week”. He said parents would have to drive children to creches and he asked that in future developments the council give consideration to “all citizens”.
Cllr Kevin Daly (Ind) said creating a shortage of parking spaces in housing developments would lead to people parking on neighbouring streets and causing congestion. He said reducing the level of parking was often seen as reducing congestion “but it is not, it is causing it”.
