Residents hold protest over housing shortage

RESIDENTS in Dublin 15 held a protest outside Fingal County Council’s offices in Blanchardstown over the housing crisis last week.

Locals are demanding that a housing emergency be declared and have called for immediate action by the local authority and incoming Government to deal with the issue. The protesters want to see an emergency programme implemented to provide social and affordable housing on public land in Dublin 15.

In a statement, the residents claimed that 600 social homes were built by local authorities in the area in the 1980s and early ‘90s “in the space of a few years”. They said that further homes, both social and affordable, were later developed in Castlecurragh.

They have called for the immediate development of 1,200 homes on council owned land at Damastown, known locally as Church Fields.

“This should be a mix of social homes for rent and other homes that can be purchased by low and middle-income people at affordable mortgages,” the residents’ statement reads. “All the necessary community services that are needed for new communities should be planned at the same time as the construction programme.”

In a statement, Fingal County Council said that as part of its commitment under Rebuilding Ireland, it has developed a land management plan to deliver a programme of 1,000 new-build housing on land in its ownership at Church Fields, Mulhuddart, in Dublin 15.

The statement reads: “The development of the lands will provide for a mixed tenure residential development of social, affordable purchase and cost rental homes with associated community facilities. The improvement of the environment in existing estates in the area will also be included in the proposed development.

“Funding has been approved under the Serviced Sites Fund (SSF) to enable delivery of key road and green infrastructure to facilitate the development of the site and the council is now conducting economic and financial modelling and analysis on the development of the overall site.”

The statement added that an initial phase of the housing development at Church Fields has been approved and is at tendering stage. This will involve 20 homes. The next phase of development, consisting of 70 social houses, is to be presented at this week’s council meeting for approval.

The council also revealed that the planning process has commenced for the road link between Damastown Road and Wellview Avenue, including the upgrade of the existing Wellview Avenue and a cycleway adjacent to Church Road. The green infrastructure design is also underway as outlined in the land management plan.

In addition to the 70 homes at Church Fields, Fingal councillors approved plans to construct 80 more homes on two sites in Swords and Cappagh last month.

A Fingal County Council spokesperson added: “The council continues to deliver on its commitments under the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan and has a significant construction programme underway. Since 2016, the council has constructed 288 homes with 2019 seeing the completion and allocation of homes at Avondale and Church Road in Dublin 15, as well as Rolestown and Castlelands in Balbriggan.

“Construction is ongoing on four sites which will deliver a further 98 homes in 2020. Another 236 homes are at tender stage or in the planning process.

“Since 2015, Fingal County Council has delivered over 6,200 housing solutions to families across the county. These homes have been delivered through a range of delivery mechanisms including construction, Part V, acquisitions, leasing and Housing Assistance Payments (HAP).”