Council confirms work on O’Devaney Gardens to begin soon

Work on the 1,047 apartments on the site of the former O’Devaney Gardens complex near Stoneybatter is set to begin later this month, says Dublin City Council.

Councillors were told last week by the local authority that preparation works are set to start soon ahead of construction which is expected to commence between July and September.

Development will begin at the south-east side of the site so not to disturb the construction of 56 social homes near North Circular Road.

Work on these homes began in 2018 and they are expected to be completed in the coming months.

The large apartment complex, which will consist of blocks reaching 14-storeys high has been the subject of controversy since plans for the site’s redevelopment were first discussed six years ago.

In May, councillors tried to back out of a deal with the developer, Bartra, after An Bord Pleanála rescinded a condition which would have prohibited the firm selling apartments to investment funds.

Sinn Fein councillors tabled a motion calling for the council to pull out of the deal after ABP’s decision came to light.

However, Yvonne Kelly, the local authority’s law agent told the council that it was “contractually bound to a legally binding agreement” with Bartra and it was “not possible to get out of that agreement”.

Most Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, Green Party, and Labour councillors voted for the scheme to proceed after Kelly issued the advice.

The planning board originally granted permission for the development on the condition that Bartra could only sell units to “individual purchasers” and not institutional investors.

Bartra disputed this condition claiming that the viability of the entire project was at stake if investment funds were prohibited from purchasing the units.

After Bartra failed to get the decision overturned, it filed for a judicial review of the case which subsequently ruled in its favour.

ABP then partially rescinded the condition, saying that it only applies to houses and duplex units in the development not apartments.

However, the vast majority of the units in the development will be apartments, with just 43 houses and duplexes available.

As part of the deal made between DCC and Bartra, 30 percent of the homes will be reserved for social housing while 20 percent will be for affordable purchase with the remaining 50 percent to be sold privately.

Last month, the council told elected representatives that it was still negotiating with Bartra and an approved housing body in an effort to secure an extra 30 percent of the homes for a cost rental scheme.

However, the council’s head of housing Coilín O’Reilly said that the sale of these homes was ultimately “a matter for the developer”.