New town placed for west Dublin

Dublin City Council has announced new plans to create a brand new town in West Dublin.

The new town, with the planned name of Ballyboggan (or Baile Bogáin), would be situated on the site of the Dublin Industrial Estate.

The planned area would be well served by transport links, with the 120 and 122 Dublin Bus routes going through the area along with the recently launched N2 orbital bus route, and the Broombridge Luas and rail station serving as the linchpin of the project.

Dublin City Council’s master plan calls for a mix of 75% residential areas and 25% designated for enterprise.

In Dublin City Council’s plans, the majority of buildings will range from three to four storeys, with certain structures reaching up to eight storeys.

The Royal Canal, which has seen significant work in recent years, would also receive a new walkway as part of the plans.

“The Baile Bogáin master plan represents an urban-design led and evidence-based approach to the regeneration and balanced densification of this strategic land bank, capitalising on the significant state investment in public transport in accordance with national and regional policy relating to compact and sustainable growth,” the plan states.

In January 2024, planning permission for a proposed 16-storey mixed-use building in Cabra was refused by An Bord Pleanála.

The planned development, with the working title of Grand Canal Square, called for 304 apartments, a 100-bedroom hotel, 44,365 square metres of office space and plans for 14 retail units.

At the time, An Bord Pleanála said that a planned feasibility study and local statutory plan for the industrial estate in Broombridge was a factor in their decision to refuse planning permission. 

Explaining their decision to reject the plan, the board stated that if the scheme was given the green light, it would result in “piecemeal and fragmented development.”

They stated that the plan lacked “coherent integration” with potential future developments in the area.

The rejected planning permission in early 2024 now clears the path for Ballyboggan to get the go-ahead, with local authorities now seemingly favouring a redevelopment of the area around the Industrial Estate in Broombridge.

Now, members of the public are being asked to have their say on the planned town, with the plan itself needing to be signed off on by councillors.

Members of the public have until the middle of May to have their say on the planned project.

“Individuals, groups, organisations or representatives, as well as children, or groups or associations representing the interests of children, are invited to make submissions or observations,” said Dublin City Council, with the concerned entities having until May 12 to make their submissions.

Submissions or observations may be made online at consult.dublincity.ie or by post to  Senior Executive Officer (Draft Baile Bogáin Masterplan), Dublin City Council, Planning, Property & Economic Development Department, Block 4, Floor 3, Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin 8. D08 RF3F.

Ballyboggan is part of Dublin’s sprawl out from the city centre and out towards western areas.

For frame of reference, Ashtown had a population of roughly 10,000 citizens in the 2006 census, to nearly 15,000 in the 2022 census.

The growth in West Dublin was reflected at the 2024 general election, with the constituency of Dublin West granted an extra seat as a result of a growing population.

Dublin City Council announced plans in 2018 to review 82 industrial zones west of Dublin city centre in a bid to alleviate the housing crisis, with a view to creating new suburbs or potential new towns; Ballyboggan would line up with the council’s plans.

Local Fine Gael councillor Colm O’Rourke has praised the idea, but said that there needs to be “robust engagement” with local communities.

The Cabra-Glasnevin councillor said, “this could be one of the most exciting regeneration projects we’ve seen in Dublin in decades.”

“It’s rare to have a land area of this size and strategic value available for development within the city. If delivered properly, the Baile Bogáin plan could deliver a fantastic new urban quarter for the northside and the whole city. The vision for a vibrant, inclusive community with homes, schools, parks and public transport is exactly what we need.”

He said that for the plan to succeed, “local residents must be fully involved.”

“There must be genuine consultation so that this development enhances rather than disrupts the character of the existing communities. I’ll be working to ensure community voices are heard and that the plan delivers real, lasting benefits for all.”

“As someone who lives near these lands, I know how much pride people take in their communities in Glasnevin, Cabra and surrounding communities. We’ve seen the damage poor planning can do in the past,” he noted.

This shouldn’t just be about building housing, it’s about building a community. That means making sure things like schools, childcare, green spaces and transport links are all delivered in tandem, not as afterthoughts. Let’s make sure this time we get it right — hopefully it will be a place we’ll all be proud of for generations.”

The westward growth of Dublin’s suburbs has been discussed on Fingal County Council in recent times.

Last October, Northside People reported on plans to develop a major housing development in Dunsink in Dublin 15.

Dónall Ó Ceallaigh, who works in the planning department for Fingal County Council, told the meeting, “for a long time now, it’s been on our radar for future development.”

A 2022-23 feasibility study by Fingal County Council found that the Dunsink site has the potential to deliver as many as 7,000 housing units, and now the council is actively looking to pursue the project.

“If you consider there are 2 and a half people per household in the households, that’s over 20,000 people living there, that’s like a small-sized town,” using Ennis in Co Clare with its population of 25,000 as a scale of comparison.

Speaking at the meeting, Sinn Féin councillor Angela Donnelly said, “a few years ago, we might have thought a few years ago that things are getting better because houses are being built – that hasn’t been the case.”

“The homeless list is getting longer and longer, and the waiting for social housing is now 12-14 years. We really need to look at this as an emergency. The sooner we can get building in Dunsink, the better.”

Pet Shop Boys famously covered Go West by Village People in 1993; now it seems that “Go West” is the mantra of the government as it looks to tackle Dublin’s housing crisis.