DUBLIN Corporation has asked the Government to fund a proposed £109 million redevelopment programme for Ballymun flats which includes the demolition of six tower blocks.
The corporation made the request to the Department of the Environment yesterday after city councillors voted in favour of the seven year phased plan at their monthly meeting earlier this week.
Work could begin later this year or early next year if the Minister for the Environment, Mr Howl in, approves the plan.
It involves the demolition of six of Ballymun's seven 15 storey tower blocks and the construction of 540 replacement two storey houses to accommodate the tower block residents.
Eight sites are earmarked for the houses, which are expected to cost £58,685 each.
The seventh tower, the Plunkett, is not scheduled for demolition as it was refurbished in a pilot scheme in 1991.
The proposal also involves refurbishing 1992 flats in the remaining 29 low rise blocks. This will include extensive work on interiors and facades as well as upgrading entrance and access areas and renovating the lift service. This work is expected to cost £38,339 per unit.
The entire scheme could cost £109.4 million with £77.7 million going on refurbishment and £31.7 million on new buildings, according to the corporation's estimates.
The corporation is also considering tenders for £2.4 million urgent roof replacement work on all 2,814 flats in the area, including those blocks earmarked for demolition.
The redevelopment proposals are contained in the corporation's final response to an evaluation report on the flats published in 1993 by a joint Irish/British team of consultants from Craig Gardner/Price Waterhouse.
That report assessed a £6 million pilot refurbishment programme on 282 flats carried out 1991, which included installing security systems. While it found a high level of satisfaction with the scheme among residents, the report concluded that it did not go far enough and recommended additional work to upgrade the flats to a 20 year lifespan.
Dublin North West Labour TD, Ms Roisin Shortall, who is a member of the Ballymun Housing Task Force, said local residents welcomed the corporation's refurbishment proposals.