Councillors could undermine local and national housing targets if they fail to rezone a site in west Dublin earmarked as “high amenity”, builder Michael O’Flynn warns in a letter to local representatives.
His company, O’Flynn Capital Partners, plans to build more than 500 homes at St Edmundsbury, Lucan, Co Dublin, in a joint venture with racing and investment magnates, John Magnier and JP McManus, who own the site.
South Dublin county councillors must vote on a proposal to rezone the land at a meeting on June 19th next, a move that would allow homes to be built on a site close to Dublin city and public transport routes.
O’Flynn has urged the 40 council members to vote for the proposed variation to the county development plan that would rezone the site and has warned that delays would have long-term consequences.
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In a letter seen by The Irish Times, the builder argues that omitting the St Edmundsbury lands, close to the Hermitage Golf Club on the south bank of the river Liffey, would have implications beyond the site itself.
Such a move would weaken the council’s overall strategy, underpinning the variation would “remove approximately 540 homes from the council’s identified pipeline”.
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The rezoning vote takes place in light of the Government’s direction last year to local councils to make more land available for housing under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act.
O’Flynn warns that even on an “optimistic timeline” a decision to materially amend the process next week would prevent it coming back for final consideration before October or November.
That would mean that 15 months after the publication of the Government’s housing targets, South Dublin County Council would still not have completed the response needed to accommodate those aims.
“At a time of acute housing need, further delay risks undermining the timely implementation of national and regional housing policy,” his letter warns.
This is the latest bid to rezone land that locals regard as an amenity. Many of them oppose the move.
Objections to the proposal say housing would be a “disgrace and disaster” on the site.
Others argue that it has implications for the broader Liffey Valley area.
O’Flynn’s letter notes that his company’s proposal formalises existing walkways and amenities, secures and enhances them.
He also states that the Office of the Planning Regulator supports changing the south Dublin county development plan to allow suitable sites for housing to be rezoned to support national policy.
“The obvious question is that if housing is not developed at this site, how can the State ever hope to provide housing in the right locations to meet the needs of its citizens?” O’Flynn’s letter asks.
“It is incumbent on all of us to take responsibility and play our part in housing our people,” he adds.
