Dublin City Council approves new senior citizens housing for Ballymun

Dublin City Council has revealed that it plans to build 93 new homes on a site in Shangan, Ballymun as part of the upcoming local area plan.

The announcement was made last week at a North West Area Committee meeting.

The council says that the development will consist of 73 units for senior citizens and 20 units for people with additional medical needs.

There will be a mixture of bed sizes, ranging from one to four bedrooms and the local authority says it intends on commencing the planning permission process in early 2022.

The land earmarked for the development is a greenfield site located between the Shangan Road and Ballymun Road.

Local Fianna Fail councillor Keith Connolly said the progress “is very welcome” and it is “encouraging to see Government funding availed of in order to provide public housing in the heart of Ballymun.”

Connolly says that the homes will be managed by an Approved Housing Body (AHB) and it is hoped that construction on the units will be fully completed by March 2025.

Councillor Briege Mac Oscar, also Fianna Fail, said she particularly welcomed the inclusion of senior citizen housing for the community.

“Our area currently has a long waiting list for senior citizen housing, both from the social housing list and for those wishing to downsize,” she says.

“These plans are for high quality housing for our senior citizens and others with medical needs in a well-connected location, next to public transport and civic amenities such as a health centre.

“Ballymun residents will also welcome progress on the Ballymun LAP which was passed in 2017.”

Independent councillor Noeleen Reilly says that the site on which the development will be built “has been vacant for over a decade and has been the scene of huge anti-social behaviour.

“I’m sure the building will come as some relief to the residents who have suffered over the years,” she says.

“There is also the benefit of senior citizens downsizing to smaller units freeing up these homes for families which is really important in terms of dealing worry the housing crisis.”

The announcement of the new development comes only a couple weeks after the council revealed plans to build 206 affordable homes on the Balbutcher site and Sillogue site in Ballymun.

Overall, 105 units will be built on the Balbutcher site while 101 units will be constructed on the Sillogue land.

Each home will be subsidised by up to €100,000 and construction is expected to begin at the start of 2023 subjected to planning permission.

“The details of how to apply for one are being worked out at the moment but there will be set criteria linked to earnings and being a first-time buyer,” Connolly said.

“As part of each development there will be improved public spaces.”

Vice chair of the Oireachtas Housing committee and local TD, Paul McAuliffe also welcomed the development.

“We recently had Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien in Ballymun and its great to see the governments housing for all strategy becoming a reality.

“These new homes will cost much lower than the private market due to the state subsidy of €100,000. I look forward to working with the Minister and Dublin City Council to ensure the delivery of more homes in Ballymun.”