Mayor of South Dublin Mark Ward has called on South Dublin County Council to purchase a 15.4-hectare residential site within the Clonburris Strategic Development Zone. Mayor Ward had a motion passed recently that could see an additional public homes in the Clonburris plan. Ward said “This would increase the output of social and affordable housing in Dublin Mid West. “The Clonburris SDZ is of huge significance to this county. The masterplan is currently under consideration after it was appealed to An Bord Pleanala after appeals were lodged by Fine Gael councillors, NAMA and others” “I was at the appeal and spoke at the oral hearing on behalf of the plan and the need for homes in due to the housing crisis. Other Councillors appealed the plan for various reasons.”
“This motion will not increase housing densities across the SDZ but it will increase the amount of public houses in the plan.” “The sale of Kilcarberry which Sinn Fein were against sent a bad message to the public from this Council in relation to selling public land. That being said the Sinn Fein motion that ring-fenced SDCC proportion of the sale, in the region of €19 million for the purchase of additional land for public housing is very important now. “ “Recently a plot of land went on sale in Clonburris for €11.5 million. This plot has capacity for 800 units. This works out at approx. €13k per unit. Land prices in Dublin City are much dearer” “Acquiring this site would mean that SDCC would have a combined holding in the SDZ of 37% which along with the 10% social requirement under part V would increase the total output of social and affordable homes to 45%. “€11.5m is not a huge investment when you consider the price of land in other parts of Dublin” “I am asking the CEO to explore this option. To use this ring fenced money and if that money is not available to short term borrow the money until such a time that it is”
“Other sites in Clonburris may become available in the coming months and years. This council should look to purchase them if they do and I want to send a message that this council are looking to support the maximum amount of public housing in the County. “ “Land acquisitions costs are generally funded from the Councils own resources. The money from Kilcarberry is our own resources” “Also once local authorities have identified a need to acquire land they can seek to borrow from the Housing Finance Agency. An interim loan would be suffice in this case until the Kilcarberry money is available “As I said already purchasing of this land will not increase densities, reduce amenities or infrastructure. It will just increase the amount of Public and affordable homes in the SDZ” “This motion was passed unanimously at the full meeting of South Dublin County Council yesterday”
