Palmerstown lacks the infrastructure to support a new plan from private developers to build 144 built-to-rent apartments in the industrial estate beside Palmerstown Manor, which will only make profits for private developers at the expense of renters and the community, according to David Gardiner, Workers’ Party representative in Palmerstown-Fonthill.
Gardiner said: “This plan is the third of its kind to be proposed for the area in recent years, none of which have offered any real solutions to already-existing problems in Palmerstown which they are likely to worsen.” “As anybody living or working in Palmerstown can tell you, there is already a huge traffic problem in the area, particularly along Kennelsfort Road. Just like the approved Vincent Byrne development and the proposed Silver Granite development, the proposed location in this plan is also along Kennelsfort Road. Where are the plans to deal with the hundreds of extra cars that the plan could bring?”
“Similarly, what impact will these developments have on access to schools, to childcare and to doctors?” “As is the standard in many European countries, the Workers’ Party believes that infrastructure should be delivered before a development rather than after it or never at all, especially when you have three sizable developments all proposed within such close proximity to each other. The consequences could be dire for the community otherwise.”
“The apartments will also be built-to-rent, meaning they are likely to end up in the hands of a vulture landlord firm. Every single apartment in the plan is proposed to be either a single or double bedroom, meaning they will be ideal for a landlord looking not only to squeeze as much money as possible from single people and young couples, but also from the state through the likes of the Housing Assistance Payment.” “The cost of rent will probably be in line with the sky-high Dublin rental market, meaning that it will be unaffordable to many people anyway. Make no mistake, developments like these won’t solve the housing crisis; they are the housing crisis.”
“Overall, this proposal is a bad deal for renters, for the community and for the state. Ultimately, only mixed-income publicly-owned housing will solve the housing crisis, while plans like this only act to further it.”
