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A PLAN TO build 1,100 social, and affordable houses on a landbank in Blanchardstown is being hailed as a potential template for a solution to the housing crisis.
However, there are differences over how the land will be used.
Solidarity has published a plan that would see the area turned into Damastown Village. The plan would see the land developed as a mixed community of 1,135 homes, with 50% reserved for social housing for those on the social housing waiting list and homeless families, and the remaining 50% to be offered as part of an affordable mortgage scheme.
Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger says that the plan could change lives. She told the Dáil earlier this month the plan should be built by Fingal County Council.
“Damastown village, if properly planned, with the additional transport infrastructure that Dublin west needs and with dedicated youth facilities and parklands, could transform the lives of thousands of people.
“Only 15% can get a mortgage. What about the other 85%? Why do we hear on Sean O’Rourke’s show that workers in Ballymun can get a mortgage for €170,000 in the Ó Cualann project but the Taoiseach thinks it is affordable for workers in Blanchardstown to pay €315,000? This could resolve that issue for many workers. Will the Taoiseach back the funding of this project and similar projects nationally, given Dublin west is just a microcosm of the national homeless crisis?”
Coppinger went on to say that local authorities should build the houses needed to tackle the country’s problems.
“The State is actually the biggest land hoarder in this country. To hoard land during a housing crisis is akin to hoarding food in a famine. A total of 13 councils did not bother to build a solitary thing in the last two years. Fingal County Council, with which the Taoiseach will be familiar, completed ten homes. Ten homes equates to 0.01% of the number needed for the 8,046 people on its housing list. The Fingal area has 22% of Dublin’s population but 35% of its homeless population, mostly in the Taoiseach’s own constituency and mine, Dublin West.”
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, a TD for the area, called Coppinger’s stance that councils should build homes a “hardline ideological” one.
“Just because social housing or public housing is not built directly by a local authority does not mean that it should not count.
“All of the people moving into that housing know what it is – it is social housing run by the Iveagh Trust, an agency that has been providing housing since before the State was founded. They have secure tenancies and a subsidised rate, but because of the Deputy’s ideology, it does not count. I ask her and her supporters to consider their ideology and adopt the approach my party and the Government adopt.”
The plan
The Solidarity Damastown Village plan would see 75 acres of land in north Blanchardstown turned into 835 4, 3 and 2-bedroom houses and 300 apartments.
The plan is less dense than nearby Cluid housing, with 37 units per hectare, with Solidarity promising a new community.
“We wish to not simply squeeze as many units as possible into this site, but rather to build a new community with all the necessary open space, recreational amenities and community infrastructure, mindful of the impact of the population increase would have on existing and neighbouring communities.”
Solidarity puts the cost of building at around €175 million.
They say that the funding would come from capital investment and affordable mortgage schemes.
“If we agreed a mix of social and affordable of 50:50 and applied this to the entire development the cost would breakdown as €87,068,000 Capital investment and €87,068,000 loan from the Housing Agency for an affordable mortgage scheme.”
Those mortgages would see people in four-bedroom homes paying €797 a month on a 25-year mortgage, a move which would bring €372,996 a year into Fingal’s coffers.
The council, however, has engaged a design team to handle the lands itself. Their plan would deliver roughly the same number of homes, but the move made some councillors fear the land would be sold to private developers.
Plans to develop these lands are underway and a consultant design team have been engaged by the council to prepare a Land Management Plan for these lands which will provide for the optimal layout and future sustainable development of the lands and provide for a mixed tenure residential development with associated community facilities.
“Briefing sessions are being held with local councillors in relation to the development of the Land Management Plan. It is proposed to commence development of these lands late 2018/early 2019 in accordance with the plan.
“The plans for the development of the lands will be brought forward through the council’s normal planning and consultation processes, at which stage the full design of the scheme will be available.”
Local reaction
Locally, councillors are broadly in agreement that building should be done on the lands, but not all agree with the Solidarity plan. Councillors were shown plans on 7 December by the design team and updated on areas affecting the development.
Generally, councillors say the update was positive, but many worry about the housing mix. Green party councillor Roderic O’Gorman said he agreed with Coppinger and Solidarity councillor Matt Waine on the housing mix.
“I am strongly of the view that we need to move away from estates made up for purely private or public housing, and encourage a mix of tenure in all estates. This should be applied on the Damastown lands.
“At the same time, I don’t want to see the wholescale giveaway of publicly owned lands to private developers. The fact that the Government has proposed introducing an affordable mortgage scheme presents a potential option whereby a significant number of the homes were social housing, and the rest could be privately owned, but with residents using an affordable mortgage scheme.
I think, and hope, the council officials understand that if there is a major sell off of a large chunk of the land for purely private housing, there will be resistance across the council.
Independent councillor Tania Doyle said that any move to increase housing stock would be welcome.
“I have been to the forefront in calling for increases to the supply of housing and associated suitable infrastructure. Dublin 15 in particular has been left behind in both. So I will always welcome any increases in the supply of housing stock.”
Fianna Fáil’s Howard Mahony said he fully supported the Fingal plan, while Fine Gael’s Eithne Loftus called the Solidarity plan “half-baked”.
“I am very supportive of Fingal’s plan to develop the Damastown project. The Council are working with a group of specialists to prepare a proper plan for this site – a site that has many issues that need to be evaluated and considered before any development takes place on this site.
I will not be supporting the Socialists half baked presentation.
A further update on the site is due in the new year.
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“Russia’s defence ministry has claimed that more than 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers have surrendered in Mariupol. ” Well what were they supposed to do without ammunition, throw stones? I just hope Russia respects them and doesn’t put them in concentration camps, like other dissidents who disagree with him.
@Con Cussed: are you serious ? Of course they will….
If chemical weapons were used, NATO will have to intervene this time unlike last time.
Russia is a weak country militarily
Counties only take them seriously because they have WMDS.
Poland on their own would overrun Russian forces at this rate easily.
@alan scott:
Turkey, from NATO have used chemical weapons in the war with Kurds in 2015/16
@Calvin James: That doesn’t make it right or acceptable. These are heinous crimes irrespective who carries them out. Turkey is not a country that respects human rights or accepts dissension.
@Con Cussed:
Of course, I’m just pointing out that NATO use chemical weapons when it suits them with zero repercussions or outcry
@alan scott: Just to be clear – a NATO member country is accused of using them, that not the same as saying NATO uses chemical weapons.
@Calvin James: thats Turkey.. not an EU country… Russian apologists like yourself keep spouting examples of the likes of US and Turkey.. the core EU countries like ourselves are civilised unlike Russians.. Europe is the core of whats left of world civilisation… dont forget that living in Ireland where you have freedom of speech.. try making comment like that in Russia about Russian state.. see how long you stay free..
@John Bathe:
Hmm don’t know how you came to that Russian apologist assumption. I’m just highlighting that Turkey is a NATO country and has used chemical weapons in the past. Mobilising NATO against Russia for doing the same is, you know…Also I’m working in Ukraine getting medical equipment in and orphans out and a good friend of mine was 1 of the lads in the 39th that surrendered in Mariupol yesterday.
@Tom Purcell: Should NATO have not kicked them out so?
@Calvin James: Turkey are not an EU country… why keep mentioning it, if you are not deflecring from Russian activities? So its OK for Russia to do what it likes ?
@John Bathe:
No one is talking about the EU here, it’s all NATO
@Calvin James: so its ok for Russia to use Chemical weapons them ? Again it is the civilsed EU that is under threat…is it ok for Russia to use chemical weapons? Simple question.. yes or no ?
@John Bathe:
Do I have to resort to Ann And Barry terms here, of course it’s not, not once did I say otherwise, I was replying to a comment that suggested NATO should mobilise against Russia for using chemical weapons. I reminded the author that a NATO army has used them themselves, where am I supporting Russia or the use of chemical weapons in this thread? Christ
@Calvin James: why bring up Turkey so ? So long as your against Russia using them, then fine…
@Calvin James: Ukraine is not in NATO, it wanted to be but it was never going to be, Finland and Sweden are a different matter and will hopefully join in the near future, no matter what that warmonger Putin thinks..
1000 Ukrainian marines surrendering to the warmonger, who else besides Putin and those who back him believe in the tooth fairy?
@Charles Coughlan: And if they did – no body here is qualified to speak negatively of them. What these people would have gone through trying to protect their homeland from the Russian invasion over the last month, is something we can’t even imagine.
Who else besides Putin believes in the tooth faury?
Where are we heading now? In the Book of Daniel, we read, “And both these kings [Great Britain and Russia. In 1882 British troops occupied Egypt. Great Britain then took the role of "the king of the south". Around the same time, Russia expanded its influence in the region, which previously belonged to Seleucus I Nicator, and took the role of "the king of the north"], their hearts (will be) to do mischief, and at one table (they) will speak a lie; but it will not succeed. Indeed yet (the) completion to (the) appointed time. And [the king of the north] will go back (to) his land with great wealth [1945. This detail indicated that after the previous victories Hitler will attack the Soviet Union and will fight to the bitter end]; and his heart (will be) against the holy covenant [Soviet Union introduced state atheism and believers were repressed]; and will act; and go back to his own land [1991-1993. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact. The troops from the Soviet military bases returned to their country]. At the appointed time [he] will return back [Russian troops will return to where they were previously stationed. It also means the big crisis, plus the break-up of the EU and NATO], and will enter into the south [because of ethnic conflict (Matthew 24:7)], but it will not be as the former [Georgia - 2008] or as the latter [Ukraine – now. It also will not evolve into WW3. This will happen only later, after Russia returns], for the dwellers of coastlands of Kittim [the distant West] will come against him, and (he) will broke down [mentally], and will go back.” (11:27-30a) This time it will be a world war not only by name. “The great power sword” will also be used. (Revelation 6:4) Jesus characterized him in this way: “A frightening things both and extraordinary (related to unusual phenomena) from sky powerful will be.” (Luke 21:11) Because of the use of these terrible weapons there will be significant tremors along the length and breadth of the regions [of strategic importance] and famines, and pestilences. Some ancient manuscripts contain the words “and frosts”. The Aramaic Peshitta: “and will be great frosts”. (Luke 21:11) We call this today “nuclear winter”. In Mark 13:8 there are also words of Jesus: “and disorders” (in the sense of confusion and chaos). The Aramaic Peshitta: “and confusion” (on the state of public order). This extremely detailed sign fits only one war. Jesus stated: “All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.” (Matthew 24:8)
@Ryszard Ewiak: With the amount of interpreted prophecies you’ve stuck in brackets there, you might ask Daniel to look in his book and interpret tonight’s lotto numbers for us all.
@Ryszard Ewiak: do you think anyone will actually read that… no chance..
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