merrion street

Minister for Housing, Planning, Community & Local Government Simon Coveney T.D. today (9 February, 2017) turned the sod on major infrastructure works at Cherrywood, Dublin which will pave the way for a substantial element of the 7,000 new homes envisaged along four LUAS stops in south Dublin. This infrastructure build is the first step towards the delivery of 1,300 new homes envisaged to start later this year as one of Ireland’s first build-to-rent projects as part of the Government’s solution-based plan for Rebuilding Ireland.

The Minister said:
“This is Rebuilding Ireland for real, and the start of one of Ireland’s biggest urban development projects which will eventually employ around 3,000 people. The overall investment of capital into the Irish economy from the full SDZ infrastructure project will be in the order of €160m and will build up to just short of €1bn. There are additional announcements to come on other major public and private housing projects in Dublin and regionally. Work is advancing on the Government’s National Planning Framework for overall planning and development - Ireland 2040 – Our Plan, Rebuilding Ireland is gaining momentum and delivering on the ground.”

It is only a short time since Minister Coveney launched Pillar 3, ‘Build More Homes’ under Rebuilding Ireland. Pillar 3 focuses on building more homes at affordable prices and in areas that people want to live in. Cherrywood is a Special Development Zone (SDZ) and as such is subject to a fast-track planning status.

The Minister concluded that:
“Cherrywood will be a model sustainable community, provided from the outset with high-quality public transport facilities, new parks equal in size to Marlay Park and Saint Stephen’s Green and a truly integrated residential and retail town centre along with 1,300 build-to-rent units, 10% of which will be social, in one straight go, with the aim of starting in Autumn of this year.”

Note for Editors
Some of the main commitments under Pillar 3:
Doubling of output to deliver over 25,000 units per annum on average over the period of the Plan [2017-2021], aided by;

Ø Opening up land supply and low-cost State lands
Ø Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) - €200m
Ø NTMA financing of large-scale “on-site” infrastructure for developers, complementing LIHAF
Ø Prioritising large pathfinder sites in key urban locations to release housing more quickly
Ø Planning reforms – large housing development applications to go directly to the Board, new streamlined Part 8 process, on-line planning facilities
Ø Putting in place a National Planning Framework and land management actions – multi-tenure developments on State lands.
Ø Efficient design and deliver ymethods to lower housing delivery costs
Ø Measures to support construction innovation and skills