Plans have been submitted this week for almost 1,000 social and affordable homes at the site of the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum.
The proposed development by the Land Development Agency (LDA) submitted to An Bord Pleanala will consist of 940 apartments, 17 duplexes and 20 houses, in building sizes ranging from two to seven stories, with a range of social and affordable homes on offer.
The development will also involve extensive facilities for residents and the wider community, including a community centre with indoor sports facilities, a medical centre, a café and a childcare facility.
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The LDA had initially planned a 14 storey apartment block at the centre of the site, and when it published its masterplan for the development last year it had already reduced heights to a maximum of 11 storeys, following resistance from local residents.
However, the final scheme represents a halving of the original height with buildings now ranging from two to seven storeys.
The planning application covers 9.6 hectares of the 11.3-hectare site, with the remaining area encompassing the location of the main hospital buildings.
Of the 977 homes, 80 per cent will be available to low and middle income workers as “affordable” housing, either for sale through the State-subsidised affordable purchase scheme, or as cost-rental, where rents are based on the cost of building and maintaining the development, rather than market rates.
The remaining 20 per cent will be used for social housing.
Almost 85 per cent of the homes will be one-bed, two-bed or studio apartments, while one-beds will account for the largest proportion at 423 apartments, with 354 two-beds, 53 studios, as well as 110 three-bed apartments.
John Coleman, CEO of the LDA, said: “We are excited to be making this planning application for the largest LDA project to date, that will showcase our ability to make efficient use of public land to help address the country’s housing shortage.
"We have taken a proactive approach to engage with the local community, politicians and our partners in Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council. We received extensive and constructive feedback, and I want to thank all who participated in this process which has informed the Masterplan for Dundrum Central.
"The support and collaboration of the HSE and OPW throughout the design phase has also made a valuable contribution.
"The site has the potential to be a transformative development with a holistic Masterplan that is sensitive to best practice planning in terms of compact growth and sustainable development. We have looked to balance the need to optimise use of this landmark state-owned site to deliver much needed housing with the desire to integrate into an existing neighbourhood."
The mid nineteenth-century hospital is still in use as the Central Mental Hospital, but the facility is set to move to a location in Portrane before development starts in Dundrum.
The old buildings which include the infirmary and chapel will be preserved and reused, with the LDA intending to submit a future application for another 70-100 homes.
When it published its masterplan last April, the LDA had hoped to lodge its planning application before the end of last year, with a view to starting construction in early 2023.
The first homes are expected to be available towards the middle of 2024, with the entire scheme scheduled for completion by 2028.
A website outlining the LDA’s submission and the full Masterplan is available here
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