Dublin City Council approves plans for up to 3,800 homes in north Dublin

Plans for the regeneration of 43 hectares of industrial lands to the north of Finglas village to provide homes for up to 8,000 people have been approved by Dublin city councillors.

The Jamestown Masterplan will govern the redevelopment of Jamestown Business Park and surrounding lands, to the east of the planned Finglas Luas line, with the potential for 3,500-3,800 homes, a primary school and employment, cultural and community facilities.

More than half of the lands in Jamestown, some 22 hectares, have been classified by the council as “immediately available” for regeneration, with the remaining lands expected to support their current industrial or employment uses over the medium- to long-term.

However, Dublin City Council anticipates that applications for up to 2,300 homes could be granted over the lifetime of the city development plan which runs to 2028.

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Overall, the lands have been planned out with a ratio of 65 per cent residential and 25 per cent employment or commercial development, with the remainder to be used for community, education and ancillary facilities.

While the planned residential element will be high density, it will not be high rise. The majority of apartments would be in blocks of four to six storeys, with housing of up to three storeys facing on to Jamestown Road, McKee Avenue and St Margaret’s Court, where the developments will meet existing two-storey houses and bungalows.

Provision has been made for a small number of seven- and eight-storey blocks, away from existing housing, as well as some sites that could accommodate buildings in excess of eight storeys.

The Jamestown lands are one of four large-scale industrial sites identified by the council as key growth areas, due to their proximity to existing residential and suburban village or town centres. The Jamestown lands in particular will benefit from the extension of the Luas Green Line from Cabra to Finglas, scheduled for completion post-2030, with two stops, St Margaret’s Road and Charlestown.

Of the three other areas, two are also to the north of the city: the Dublin Industrial Estate near Glasnevin Cemetery and Malahide Road Industrial Park in Coolock. The third area involves lands along the Naas Road which have become part of the City Edge project with South Dublin County Council.

Retirement

Meanwhile, long-serving Labour politician Joe Costello announced his retirement after 35 years in politics at Monday’s Dublin City Council meeting. Cllr Costello, who turns 78 next week, said he had “done things backwards” in his political career, having first been elected as a senator in 1989, then becoming a TD, and a Minister, and is now retiring as a councillor.

He said he’d had a “good innings”, mentioning in particular his work with street traders and prisoners, and as director of elections for President Michael D Higgins. He thanked his fellow councillors and the staff of the council for their support and his wife Emer Costello, a former councillor and Lord Mayor of Dublin as well as an MEP.

Councillors from all parties paid tribute to Cllr Costello, his work for his constituents, and his work on penal reform and combatting the drugs crisis in the inner city.