Full planning permission was granted yesterday for the development of 597 new homes at Shanganagh, County Dublin. Implemented as partnership between Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and the Land Development Agency, this is Ireland’s largest proposed social and affordable scheme to date to get the go-ahead.
Easing the burden on struggling households
Of the 597 homes to be built, 200 will be social homes, 91 will be available for purchase under the government’s upcoming shared ownership scheme, and the remaining 306 homes will be provided through a new form of tenure in Ireland – cost rental. These tenures can ease the financial burden on households who find private housing costs too steep to cover, targeting especially essential and key workers who support Ireland’s society and economy during the corona crisis.
ABK Architects, the studio who has designed the new development, has provided for a mix of accommodation, catering to the needs of larger and smaller families, couples and single persons. Following the final decision of the Council and approval by the government, construction works are expected to start in the first half of 2021.
Occupying 9 hectares in an environment that is both scenic and easily accessible, the site will be next door to Shanganagh Castle, Shanganagh Park and Castle Farm and within 10 minutes’ walk of the proposed DART station at Woodbrook and BusConnects route on the nearby Dublin Road (N11).
Importantly, the development will meet the highest international environmental and sustainability standards and will be one of the largest in Europe to achieve the ‘passive house’ low energy use standard. The very low energy demand will be matched by low car parking provision (0.56 spaces per home); while bicycle parking provision will be high with over 1,300 spaces. The homes’ design features will make working from home easier and will enable full community integration.
Affordable and attractive place to live
The development is in line with dlr’s ambition to overshoot its housing targets and the LDA’s commitment to deliver affordable new homes on land which is public property. Speaking on the occasion, dlr Chairperson and Green Party member Una Power, said, quoted by the Council website: ”The achievement of full planning permission for our project in Shanganagh is excellent news for people looking to buy or rent a home in our County at an affordable cost and will make a significant contribution to meeting the Council’s social housing requirements. The development will offer people an attractive place to live that is close to key transport links and supported by a wide range of local amenities. It will also serve as a flagship for sustainable development – with best in class environmental practice incorporated into the project from the outset.”
Source: TheMayor.EU
