Work begins on 1,200 homes in Donabate

CONSTRUCTION work has begun in Donabate at one of the largest residential housing developments in the country.

1,200 homes are due to the delivered on a phased basis by homebuilder Glenveagh at the 32 acre site.

The first phase of 432 affordable, private, cost rental, and social homes at Balmoston is due to be completed within two years.

The start of work at the site was marked with a sod-turning ceremony last Friday (25th), attended by Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD; the Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Adrian Henchy; and representatives of Fingal County Council and homebuilder Glenveagh.

The development will also deliver extensive community, sports and recreational facilities that will benefit the local community.

A portion of the overall site will be made available as a public space, open to everyone from the wider Donabate and Portrane communities.

Linked to the overall development of the Donabate-Portrane peninsula is the Ballymastone Recreational Hub.

A CGI of what the new development in Balmoston will look like.

The Recreational Hub, which has been fully approved by Fingal County Council, is a €10 million investment in state-of-the-art sporting and community facilities such as GAA pitches, soccer pitches, athletics facilities and playgrounds.

Speaking at the sod-turning at Balmoston, Minister for Housing, Darragh O’Brien said, “The Balmoston site in Ballymastone will deliver significant levels of private, social and affordable housing for North County Dublin.

“As we work towards achieving the targets outlined under the Housing For All plan, developments such as this will alleviate some of the pressure on the housing market and provide quality and sustainable homes for families, young people and the wider community.

“Over €15m in funding has been provided by Government through the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF), for the Donabate Distributor Road, which opened up the land for development, and the Site Services Fund (SSF) which will support the construction of the Ballymastone Recreational Hub.”

The Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Adrian Henchy, said: “Today marks a milestone for the Donabate-Portrane peninsula as work begins on a strategically important site. The ambitious plans developed by Fingal County Council and Glenveagh will not only deliver much-needed housing, but also associated community benefits through shared public spaces and the Ballymastone Recreational Hub.”

Stephen Garvey, Chief Executive, Glenveagh said: “This is a landmark partnership for the community of Donabate and Portrane, and through continued and ongoing collaboration between Glenveagh and Fingal County Council, we have gotten to a place where we can now deliver 1,200 energy-efficient, sustainable, and high-quality homes for over 3000 people, alongside a world-class hub of recreational and sporting facilities for the people of Donabate, Portrane and the entire community. Our job at Glenveagh is to create vibrant, flourishing communities across Ireland, and we will continue to work collaboratively with Fingal County Council and the Government to deliver these homes and recreational facilities as quickly as we can, to ensure that thousands of people can call Balmoston and the wider community of Donabate and Portrane their home for generations to come.”

AnnMarie Farrelly, Chief Executive, Fingal County Council, said: “We are delighted to have reached the point where construction is about to commence on this site in Ballymastone. We look forward to the day when keys are being handed over to those who are going to live in the homes that will be built here. It will be next to the Ballymastone Recreational Hub, where construction is also starting, and which is another important piece of infrastructure for the Donabate area.”

Back in May 2021, Fingal County Council councillors voted by 31 votes to nine to approve the disposal of 28 hectares of land at Ballymastone in Donabate where the 1,200 social, affordable and private homes are to be built.