Plans for underused lands could yield jobs and housing boost for Finglas

PLANS being brought before Dublin City Council have the potential to see more than 2,200 new homes and a similar number of jobs delivered on a major landbank just 6.2 kilometres from O’Connell Street.

Centred on brownfield lands between McKee Avenue and Jamestown Road, north of Finglas Village, the plans will see currently underused, low-density industrial units replaced by a new environmentally-sustainable community, featuring a mix of housing units and state-of-the-art business premises that will increase employment on the lands 10-fold to more than 2,000 by 2030.

The current site between McKee Avenue and Jamestown Road

The overall site that the Dublin City Council is considering a masterplan for is 43.11 hectares, of which approx. 8.4 hectares is owned by a group of four local businesses – KSG Catering, Sigma Wireless, CEL and Haribo, who have operated in the area since the 1980s and 90s and who have now teamed up to advance plans for their lands.

The Employer Group say the welfare of their staff is critical to them and the current site is no longer fit for purpose.

The employers also say that their current mid to late 20th century premises are no longer fit for purpose as they have outgrown them and are now having to locate staff at other locations, pending development of new more appropriate offices.

KSG has redeployed 50% of its staff to other locations in the city.

While CEL has relocated staff to Citywest.

Sigma Wireless need to select a location for a new Customer Service Centre. It is their ambition to centralise their employment at this location.

Commenting on the proposals to designate the lands as a Strategic Development & Regeneration Area, Tony Boyle, Chairman, Sigma Wireless Group and a partner in the Finglas Employers Group, said: “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to turn what are currently underused lands into a thriving community where people live and work in Dublin city.

“All of the businesses in our group have deep roots in the local area and many of our staff live nearby so we look forward to being able to develop the type of workplaces that they deserve and that can accommodate much greater employment than our current premises do.

“In addition, the development will also help to address the ongoing chronic housing situation in Dublin and offset the need for at least some of our people to live long distances from our city, forcing them to endure lengthy commutes and a much-reduced quality of life”, he said.

Brian Hogan, KSG Limited, said:

“The fact that our lands lie within the M50, just over six kilometres from O’Connell Street, gives a sense of how centrally located they are. “Yet today, they support limited employment in very dated industrial premises and zero homes. “All of that potential can now be unlocked.”

The Employer Group say the development envisaged for the lands aligns with Project Ireland 2040, the National Planning Framework.