Some of Dublin's best-known homebuilders have every reason to celebrate this week after their companies were given the green light to fast-track the ever slowing planning process.
The Government's decision to designate sites at Adamstown in Lucan and Hansfield in Blanchardstown as Strategic Development Zones will mean that development can proceed without appeal once they comply with the Area Action Plans.
About 300 of the 500 acres at Adamstown are owned by Castlethorn Developments, the company controlled by Joe O'Reilly, Liam Maye, John Fitzsimons and Brian Wallace. The remainder of the site is held by Mick Whelan and the McGreevy brothers. Although the land can cater for up to 8,000 homes, there is still not a sign of it being serviced despite all the hoo-ha from the DOE. Things are considerably better in Hansfield where much of the site has been serviced for 2,500 homes and the highly efficient Fingal County Council has already adopted an Area Action Plan which will allow a density of around 25 housing units per acre. The Hansfield land runs from Clonsilla to the Meath border and is owned mainly by Manor Park Homes, Seamus Ross's company, Menolly Homes and, once again, Castlethorn Developments.
The main surprise was Minister Dempsey's decision to include a 1,400 housing unit site in Navan among the first tranche of SDZs. With traffic on the Navan-Dublin road already making life quite difficult and no sign of the reopening of the railway line to the city, it is questionable whether any more commuters want the daily hassle of travelling in and out of the city.
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