The Land Development Agency (LDA) and Dublin City Council (DCC) have secured permission to build 146 new homes in Coolock in Dublin 5.

The Cromcastle development will include 13 social and 133 cost rental homes, as well as new community, cultural and open spaces. The 1.7-acre site, owned by Dublin City Council, is located at the junction of Oscar Traynor Road and Kilmore road, near Beaumont Hospital and opposite the Northside Shopping Centre.

Construction is due to start by Q4 of this year and the LDA has already issued a tender for a contractor to undertake the work. Permission for the Cromcastle development was secured by the Land Development Agency and Dublin City Council under a new planning provision introduced for local authorities by the Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien TD, in March of last year.

The S179A temporary exemption allows local authorities to fast-track urgently needed social and affordable housing developments on State-owned lands zoned for residential use. This is the first time it has been used for an LDA project.

The development will include apartments, public open spaces and communal amenities with new landscaping, a new public plaza and green spaces to enhance biodiversity. It also provides excellent access to amenities, transport, and other services in the Dublin 5 locality.

Cromcastle is just one of a number of developments being delivered by the Land Development Agency in partnership with Dublin City Council. Planning permission for 543 homes in St Teresa’s Gardens in Dublin’s south inner city was granted last year, while permission for 708 homes in Cherry Orchard Point in west Dublin has recently been sought. A fourth partnership project in Bluebell in Dublin 12 is currently in the pre-application stage.

Phelim O’Neill, Head of Property at the LDA said: “It’s fantastic to have secured planning permission for another development in partnership with Dublin City Council. This is a key site in a great area where there is a significant demand for affordable housing, so we are excited to be able to get construction underway. The 146 high-quality cost rental and social homes in Cromcastle will be well-served with ready access to all local amenities and essential services. The development will also add to the existing neighbourhood with new pedestrian routes and public spaces.

“Cost rental is a really important product and the LDA is constantly working to increase supply. These homes are aimed at renters who do not qualify for social housing but who can’t afford to rent at full market prices. The rent for these homes is set at least 25% below market rates and we have experienced significant demand for the schemes we have already launched,” he added.

Dave Dinnigan, Director of Housing Delivery at Dublin City Council said: “We are pleased to have secured planning permission for these homes, working in partnership with the LDA, the local elected members and the community. Cromcastle will add to the housing supply in Dublin 5 and will complement another development that DCC is working on at an adjacent site. This is one of a number of projects we are delivering through a partnership with the LDA, and the Agency’s expertise and experience is proving to be very effective in getting joint projects to construction as quickly as possible.”

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