Dublin City Council seeking builders for affordable homes

DUBLIN City Council is looking for developers to build over 150 affordable homes, mostly houses, in Ballymun.

The council is seeking expressions of interest to develop 83 homes at a site on Sillogue Road and 74 on land at Balbutcher Lane.

The Sillogue Road site extends to almost 5.5 acres (2.2 hectares) and is located just off Main Street, close to existing residential properties.

The council say the land would be suitable for a scheme of nine apartments, nine duplexes and 65 houses, subject to planning permission.

The site at Balbutcher Lane is just under five acres (2.02 hectares) is also close to Main Street, around 3km south of Junction 4 of the M50.

The council say it’s suitable for a possible scheme of eight apartments, eight duplexes and 58 houses.

Expressions of interest are also being sought for another site in Ballyfermot, which could accommodate 64 apartments and 151 houses.

The sites are amongst the first in the country to benefit from the Government’s Serviced Sites Fund (SSF) announced as part of Budget 2019.

Under the measure, funding is available for key facilitating infrastructure on public lands to support the provision of affordable homes.

Over €4 million has been allocated to the Balbutcher Lane site for works including the diversion of the ESB Networks underground service, the removal of a sewer and the construction of new access roads.

At the Sillogue Road site, just under €4 million is being spent on a number of service diversions, removal of a redundant Irish Water service and provision of a new road and footpaths.

The affordable homes will be targeted for families in need of accommodation but who are above the threshold for council housing and can’t afford homes at market value.

Cllr Noeleen Reilly (IND) welcomed news that the sites in Ballymun were to be developed.

“This is great news for families in the area who need housing,” she said.

“We have a number of successful schemes currently operating in the area by O’Cualann Cohousing Alliance who have built affordable homes for people with the assistance of Dublin City Council, and despite the fact that the Government have yet to release an affordable housing plan.

“I cannot understand why the model O’Cualann Cohousing have used is not replicated on land across the state.

“Progress has been too slow and since the housing crisis started, Ballymun has been the only location for affordable housing spearheaded by the committed people in O’Cualann Cohousing Alliance.

“With the purchase of 92 social homes in Hampton Woods, the construction of 93 affordable homes by O’Cualann and now a further 157 in progress it is great for the Ballymun area that we finally see some movement when it comes to housing.

“I would hope that the knock on effect of these additional homes will encourage further retail investment into the area something the businesses have been telling local representatives that needed to happen.”