LDA to apply for planning permission for 543 homes in St Teresa’s Gardens

The Land Development Agency (LDA) is expected to soon file for planning permission for 543 social homes on the site of St Teresa’s Gardens in Dublin 8.

Dublin City Council informed councillors at a meeting earlier this month that the LDA intends on applying for permission “in mid-summer.”

LDA’s plans for the site, which is located on Donore Avenue, includes the development of 36 studio apartments, 189 one-bedroom units, 274 two-bedroom apartments, and 44 three-beds.

The development would reach up to 15 storeys in height while a creche, a small park, 84 car parking spaces, and 1,014 bicycle spaces are also included.

Martin Donlon, a senior architect of the council, told councillors it is expected 154 homes would be for social housing while 389 would be set aside for cost-rental.

Most councillors welcomed the scheme but concerns were raised about the price of the cost-rental homes as well as the height of the overall development.

Independent councillor Cieran Perry said the plans look “fabulous” but “15 storeys in an area like this absolutely scandalous.”

The height of the development has been scaled from a previous version of the plan which proposed a block of 22 storeys.

Labour councillor Darragh Moriarty said earlier this year that the revised plan was “a more sustainable design” for the local area even though it did involve “taking a hit” on the number of homes.

People Before Profit councillor Tina McVeigh said she welcomed the decision by the LDA to listen to the concerns of the local community which included a greater mix of home size.

Claire McManus, the housing spokesperson for the Royal Institute of Architects, said due to the height of the development “the quality and materials” will be very important.

Donlon said that “the building is robust and we are acutely aware of the requirements to make it that way, even from a health and safety [perspective] and future-proofing.”

The price of the cost-rental homes has not yet been disclosed but according to the LDA, it aims for tenants to pay about one third of their net income on rent.

This policy has been disputed by some councillors.

“Cost rental has become a bit of an oxymoron in that we thought it was going to be affordable,” said Sinn Féin councillor Máire Devine.

“We use the word ‘cost-rental’ because we don’t want to misinform people,” Dave Dinnigan, the council’s director of housing delivery said.

“The costs will be based on the cost of building, finance, management and maintenance,” he says.

The council strives “to ensure that the rents that come out are well below market rates.

“We just don’t know that yet because we haven’t got final costs.”

Donlon says that once planning is approved, the LDA will welcomed tender offers for construction, but no timeline has yet been given for a start date on the project.