More than 250 new local authority homes for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown but councillors at odds over parking
The first, at Mount St Mary's along the Dundrum Road, is made up of one- and two-bedroom apartments in three blocks between two and six storeys tall.
Thirty-five of the units are to be allocated for cost-rental, with the bulk of the remainder affordable purchase homes, with a small social housing contingent.
There are to be 65 car parking spaces, including 12 for electric vehicles, with the scheme, and 180 bike storage spaces.
Several councillors at the monthly council meeting raised issues with the parking specifications of the scheme, saying it would discourage owners from seeing the units as their 'forever home'.
Councillor Michael Clark said that while he welcomed the scheme overall, the Fianna Fáil member was disappointed by the parking provision.
"Sixty-five car spaces for 129 units, 186 beds and a suggested population in your own documentation of 277 people is just too few,' he told council officials.
'People will not consider these units as their forever home if they are unable to store a car there for the days they don't walk, for the days they can't cycle, for the days that public transport options aren't appropriate or available,' he said.
Green Party councillor Oisín O'Connor said that he supported the scheme and the parking allowance, adding that the units may not fall within affordable purchase guidelines if more spaces were provided.
"I believe that is an issue that has been raised by management in the past,' said Mr O'Connor. 'If they were to add more parking spaces, they simply wouldn't be able to build these developments'.
The second housing development is the provision of another 129 homes at Blackglen Road, Sandyford, at the foot of the Dublin Mountains. It is being developed by the council itself, while Mount St Mary's is being developed for the council by Winterbrook.
ADVERTISEMENT
Overall, the 129 units are split between 95 apartments and 34 houses across seven blocks, divided into 72 social housing units, 32 cost-rental units and 24 affordable purchase houses.
Apartments on site will be a mix of 34 one-bedroom units, 39 two-bedroom and 21 one-and-a-half-bedroom dwellings, which are designated 'age-friendly' units.
Houses will be a mix of two-bedroom (21 units), three-bedroom (11 units) and two four-bedroom houses.
A significant element of the scheme is the accommodation of existing badger setts on the site, with a 50-metre buffer zone provided along the northern edge of the site beside Fitzsimons Wood.
A total of 138 on-street car parking spaces and 168 bike spaces will be provided for the development.
The two housing schemes are proposed by DLR County Council under Part 8 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
5 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Navan invites residents to take part in ‘game changer' town centre expansion
A newly launched public survey is inviting residents, businesses, and community groups to share their views on the future of the Navan Town Centre Expansion Area, a strategic zone earmarked for major regeneration. Located off the Trim Road and Carraig Road, the area is set to become an extension of Navan's town centre and potentially the home of the long-awaited Navan Central Rail Station. Councillor Eddie Fennessy is urging residents to take part in the survey. 'The Trim Road/Dan Shaw Road/Carraige Road area is up for a massive redevelopment over the coming years,' he said on a social media post. 'This survey is very important. It gives people an opportunity to contribute the overall design. I'd like to see as many people as possible participate in that process.' The Navan councillor who just finished serving his term as Mayor said the most important piece of infrastructure on this development is the proposed train station - 'Its delivery will attract business to the town, creating employment opportunities.' Cllr Fennessy added: 'It will take cars off the road, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and congestion problems. And we will be connected to the rail grid bringing multiple benefits in terms of connectivity, tourism and economic growth. It really will be a game changer for Navan.' The survey includes a broad range of topics, from sustainable transport links to placemaking features like a civic plaza and pedestrian and cycle access to Páirc Tailteann — to which Cllr Fennessy says reflect 'an ambition on the council's part to design a communal space that people will enjoy for decades to come.' According to Meath County Council, the project is an opportunity to enhance Navan's connectivity, economy, and liveability. With the support of urban design consultants Building Design Partnership (BDP), the Master Plan will explore how to best develop the currently underutilised lands into a lively urban quarter featuring commercial, residential, and community spaces. The development will also integrate with Navan's existing public realm, cultural quarter, hospital, and major community amenities. It supports broader goals laid out in long-term plans such as Navan 2050 and the Navan Town Centre Integrated Public Realm and Movement Plan 2030. The council stresses that feedback gathered during this pre-draft consultation phase will directly influence the final Master Plan. The public can submit their feedback until Monday, July 14, 2025. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.
Irish Independent
7 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Taoiseach to raise Meath bus fare increases with Minister following intervention
Deputy Dempsey secured a commitment from Taoiseach Micheál Martin to address the fare hikes, which have hit towns like Navan and Athboy despite the absence of rail alternatives. Speaking in the Dáil chamber, Deputy Dempsey said: 'Commuters across Meath West welcomed the announcement of new commuter fare zones, but were left disappointed in April when it applied only to rail fares. That disappointment deepened in recent weeks with the bus fare changes.' 'In my hometown of Trim, the fare reduction was minimal, while towns like Navan and Athboy actually saw increases. The rationale offered was that fares now cover both bus and rail, but as we know, these towns have no rail service. It's only fair that areas without rail access, like Navan and Athboy, be given an exception and see their bus fares reduced.' The new fares structure came into effect on Monday. Among the most affected routes are the single Leap fare from Navan to Dublin, which will rise from €5.60 to €6.30, and the fare from Athboy to Dublin that will increase from €7.70 to €8.10. The Meath West TD added: 'Meath has some of the longest commutes in the country, with most people relying on cars. We need meaningful incentives to shift towards public transport. With our population and regional importance growing, it's vital that national infrastructure plans reflect this reality.' In response, the Taoiseach acknowledged her concerns and the region's importance. He said: 'Your point is well made, especially in the context of our climate targets. While implementing changes may be challenging, Navan doesn't yet have a rail line, though we are committed to delivering it, and work is underway. I will raise this issue with the Minister for Transport. I understand the motivation behind your proposal, and I agree Meath plays a major role as a commuter county.' Deputy Dempsey welcomed the Taoiseach's pledge, saying she looks forward to working toward 'a fair, effective solution for Meath commuters' and ensuring that 'no community is left behind.' Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.
Irish Independent
13 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Bed sits are being proposed as a fix for New Ross' vacant premises issue, but not all agree
However, there was some opposition to that argument with Councillor Michael Sheehan pushing for an increase in commercial activity in New Ross. 'We need to protect the retail town core, it's wide open for any kind of development; if someone comes in and turns a retail unit into a one-bed apartment it's gone, there's never going to be a commercial entity in there again,' he contested. Cllr John Fleming disagreed. 'New Ross has the highest number of vacant commercial properties in the county,' he began. 'Rather than have no-one in these old buildings and leave them derelict, we should put people into them, bring some energy into the town centre, have people in there spending money.' 'Retail probably can't save the town centre at this point,' agreed Cllr Marty Murphy. 'Any bit of life in the town is better than dereliction; running a small shop in a small town is almost impossible now.' Regarding the possible introduction of new businesses in the town, Cllr Pat Barden noted that the council had a town regeneration officer who was 'working hard' to bring life back into New Ross. 'But we don't have people living in our town centre and that's the biggest problem we have,' he added. 'If we want people living in the towns we're going to have to incentivise using the buildings over the shops. There's 250 premises between the streets in the centre of this town with absolutely nothing happening in them – some are derelict but some are shops which have two or three storeys empty above them. 'The regeneration officer is going to have to put beds in those rooms.' But Cllr Sheehan was not for turning. 'It's better to have something than nothing but developers are going to rock in here and they know what the minimum size is for a bedsit,' he said. 'They're going to put them everywhere, cram people in like sardines, get as many in as possible. It's a lot easier to turn a ground floor space into a €2,000 a month apartment than go out and hustle for a commercial entity. If we don't protect the town core all we're going to have is bedsits and no shops. 'It's already happening in Charles St, we have four functioning businesses there, and there's nothing attractive about it.' Striking a positive note, Cllr Barden reminded his colleagues that, despite their concerns, New Ross was on an upward trajectory. 'We shouldn't lose sight of what's happening in the town, I was talking to a man today who was back here for the first time in ten years and he couldn't believe it was the same place, he said it's changed so much, it looks absolutely brilliant. So we've done an awful lot right, it's really on the up.' Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.
