Land Development agency acquires site with potential for 600 homes in Dublin 11

Ellen O'Donoghue

The Land Development Agency (LDA) has announced the acquisition of a site in the Jamestown Industrial Estate in Finglas, Dublin 11.

The 3.88 hectare site has the potential for 600 homes.

It is located off the N2, close to the M50 and directly opposite the planned new Finglas Green Luas extension from Broombridge to Charlestown.

Charlestown Shopping Centre is located 1.5km north of the site.

Subject to planning permission, the site has the potential for residential and associated commercial uses.

It was acquired as part of the LDA's private site acquisition initiative, whereby the LDA targets the purchase of privately-owned sites with significant housing potential to add to its landbank of State-owned and local authority partnership sites.

To date, the agency has purchased nine significant privately-owned land banks, including Clongriffin and Baldoyle in north Dublin, the Royal Liver site on the Naas Road, land at Cookstown in Tallaght, a site at Cherrywood, strategic lands at Swords and a major housing development site at Celbridge.

All of the sites acquired to date are well served by public transport, the LDA said, including the Dart, the Red and Green Luas lines and the future Metrolink.

The latest acquisition at Jamestown means the LDA could deliver over 13,000 new homes in Dublin from privately acquired sites.

The Jamestown Industrial Estate site has been zoned Objective Z14 under the Dublin City Development Plan 2022-2028, designating it for mixed use to enable regeneration and/or development of an area.

Following the adoption of a Masterplan, a framework is now in place for the proposed residential-led regeneration of the area.

The vendor will continue to occupy the property on an agreed short-term lease basis following the acquisition.

However, the LDA said its design and planning work will start immediately to facilitate the redevelopment of the large scale site.

The site also offers an opportunity to advance the ongoing regeneration of the Jamestown Masterplan area, which could accommodate up to 3,500 new homes if fully realised, according to the agency.

John Coleman, the LDA's chief executive, said that Jamestown is a fast-developing and well-located area of Dublin with a "pressing" housing need.

"We will now seek to consult widely with the local community in Jamestown, Charlestown and Finglas and work closely with Dublin City Council to progress this site to construction," he said.

"Our private land acquisition initiative allows us to identify and acquire high-potential sites with an emphasis on regeneration and unlocking underutilised land for the provision of affordable housing.

"Through transfers of State-owned land, partnerships with local authorities and through our own land acquisitions, the LDA has a strong development pipeline and is accelerating delivery."