LDA and DCC seek public’s views on delivery of 145 affordable homes in Cherry Orchard

The Land Development Agency (LDA) and Dublin City Council (DCC) have launched a public consultation process on the planned delivery of 145 affordable homes in Cherry Orchard in west Dublin.

The new homes are proposed as part of Phase 2 of the Cherry Orchard Point residential development, which the LDA and DCC are seeking to deliver on 13.01 hectares of land owned by the local authority.

Subject to planning permission, approx. 1,131 cost rental, affordable purchase and social homes, a creche, and up to 23,400 square metres of retail space could be delivered over four phases at Cherry Orchard Point.

Phase 1 and Phase 2 involve planned development for Site 4, a 11.41-hectare site located next to Park West & Cherry Orchard Railway Station. The proposed homes will be adjacent to the M50 and within easy reach of a host of businesses and major employers, including those located at Park West Business Park.

A planning application for Phase 1 was submitted to An Bord Pleanála (ABP) in December 2023 with a decision anticipated in July 2024. This application proposes 708 homes - 547 cost rental and 161 social - in addition to commercial, retail, cultural and community spaces.

The LDA and DCC are now seeking feedback from stakeholders and the public on the proposals for Phase 2. This includes a low density neighbourhood comprising approx. 145 new 2 to 3-storey own-door affordable purchase houses and duplex units.

If approved, the plans for Phase 1 and Phase 2 will allow for the delivery of a vibrant and sustainable community with a major emphasis on amenities and facilities including a proposed supermarket, commercial/retail units, internal and external community and cultural spaces and a childcare facility.

The overall development will also feature landscaped open spaces, including a plaza, multipurpose amenity lawn, outdoor fitness trail, multipurpose games area and a playground. A network of parks and civic spaces will be connected by tree-lined streets while residents will benefit from high quality integrated and accessible public transport and a safe and permeable environment that promotes sustainable travel modes.

The plans to develop new homes at Cherry Orchard Point are proposed to combine with other public projects planned locally by DCC and included in the Park West-Cherry Orchard Local Area Plan, which was voted on and approved by Dublin city councillors in October 2019.

These positive developments include the redevelopment of Cherry Orchard Park to include a sports hub. Initial public consultation has taken place on this project and DCC is now holding further discussions with the local community.

DCC's future plans also include the development of a site opposite St Ultan's School to provide housing, including senior citizen accommodation, along with a small number of retail units to create a village hub for the area. Plans are also in place to deliver 172 new affordable homes in the local area with the aim of having the houses delivered in 2027.

As part of the consultation process for Phase 2 of Cherry Orchard Point, the LDA and DCC is inviting interested parties to examine the proposed design plans. The document and details on how to provide feedback can be found here. A series of public meetings are also due to be held, including a Drop In Event on Tuesday July 2nd in St. Ultan's Primary School in Cherry Orchard from 4-7pm. This will be advertised locally and on the LDA's website.

Phelim O'Neill, Head of Property at the LDA said:"Cherry Orchard Point is an exciting project, which will transform a major underutilised site in a key part of west Dublin. Working with DCC, we are seeking to deliver a significant amount of much-needed affordable and social housing in a location that is clearly well-connected and will ultimately be well-served. Our plans also include public amenities and facilities in addition to commercial and retail units. This is to ensure that everyone living in the development and the wider Cherry Orchard area can benefit from what will be a sustainable and vibrant new community.

"We have submitted a planning application for Phase 1 and now we are seeking the public's views on our proposals for Phase 2. We would encourage all interested parties to examine the plans carefully and to provide their feedback, which we look forward to receiving."

Dave Dinnigan, Director of Housing at Dublin City Council said: "We are pleased to be progressing with our plans for Phase 2 of Cherry Orchard Point. This is an important project for us and the LDA as it provides for the delivery of high-quality housing and amenities in an area that we have identified as suitable for future growth. We join the LDA in urging all interested parties to examine the proposals carefully and to make their views known to us."

About the LDA

The LDA is the State's affordable housing delivery body. It is in the process of delivering more than 10,000 homes on State-owned or acquired land and over 8,000 through the Government's Project Tosaigh initiative.

The Agency has existing planning permission for around 6,000 affordable homes on State-owned lands with many projects already under construction and others at advanced planning stage.

In addition to the direct delivery of homes on state-owned or other acquired land, the LDA is overseeing Project Tosaigh, an initiative whereby the agency steps in to facilitate the completion of stalled or unviable housing projects and then makes the homes available to renters or to buyers as either cost rental or affordable purchase.

Under Project Tosaigh, the LDA is planning to deliver at least 8,000 homes by 2028 with a significant number of these already delivered. The LDA recently produced the Report on Relevant Public Land, which advised the government of the potential to deliver 67,000 homes on 83 underutilised State-owned sites. The LDA is also advancing plans to purchase private sites with planning permission in the country's five major cities and recently announced the purchase of a major site in Clongriffin in Dublin, which has the potential for 2,000 homes.

Project Tosaigh

Project Tosaigh is a Government initiative, whereby the LDA steps in to facilitate the completion of housing projects and then makes the new homes available to renters on a cost rental basis or to purchasers at an affordable price.

The LDA has already launched a number of Project Tosaigh schemes. They include the release of 142 cost rental homes in Archers Wood in Delgany in Wicklow and the phased release of 95 homes in Parklands on Fortunestown Lane in Citywest in Dublin.

In January 2024, the LDA announced the release of over 600 cost rental homes in four locations including 247 at Barnwell Point Apartments in Hansfield in Dublin 15, 236 at The Quarter in Citywest, 86 in Dun Óir in Kilternan in Dublin and 52 in Harpur Lane in Leixlip, Co Kildare. In June of this year, the LDA released 180 cost rental apartments in Cookstown in Tallaght in Dublin.

The Agency has also launched a number of affordable purchase Project Tosaigh developments. These include the phased launch of 92 homes in Clonmore in Mallow in Cork, 95 in Summerfields in Kilbarry in Waterford, 57 in Wilkinsons Brook in Hollystown, Dublin 15 and 50 in Baker Hall in Navan.

Direct delivery

The LDA's direct delivery projects include the construction of 265 homes at St Kevin's Hospital in Cork, a former HSE site, and the development of 597 homes in Shanganagh in Dublin in partnership with Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

It also includes 817 homes at a site at Castlelands in Balbriggan in Dublin, 345 in Hacketstown in Skerries in Dublin, 219 at Devoy Barracks in Naas, Co. Kildare, 852 on the former Central Mental Hospital site in Dundrum, Dublin 14 and 543 at St Teresa's Gardens in Dublin's south inner city in partnership with Dublin City Council.

Cost Rental

Cost Rental is a relatively new housing tenure created under the Affordable Housing Act 2021. It offers a long-term, secure rental option that will contribute to the development of a sustainable housing market in Ireland which provides choice across all tenures. The rent on these homes is based on the cost of building, managing, and maintaining the homes.

The average rent of LDA cost rental homes is significantly lower than the private rental sector - €1,409 per month, compared to €2,098 in Co. Dublin.

In the last year, the LDA has delivered over 1,000 cost rental homes, and by the end of 2024 is on course to have launched almost 1,500 cost rental homes.

To be eligible for consideration for Cost Rental Housing, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Their net household income must be below €66,000 per annum for Dublin and €59,000 for elsewhere in the country. Applicants also have to prove how they have calculated their net household income.

• They must not be in receipt of any social housing supports (including Rent Supplement or HAP).

• They must not own a property in Ireland or elsewhere.

• Their household size must match the size of the property advertised (All members of the household must be living in Ireland at time of applying.

• They must be able to afford to pay the cost rent for the home.

• Their household must have only entered one application for a specific cost rental property.

More information on LDA cost rental homes is available at https://lda.ie/affordable-homes/lda-cost-rental

About Affordable Purchase
Affordable Purchase homes are available to eligible candidates through the Local Authority Affordable Purchase scheme. Buyers are able to bridge the gap between the price of the house and the amount of personal funds, Help to Buy (HTB) and mortgage funding available to them thus enabling them to own a newly built, A-rated home.

More information on LDA affordable purchase homes is available at https://lda.ie/affordable-homes/lda-affordable-purchase

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