
Chartered Land’s Lansdowne Place development
Kitty Holland, in The Irish Times, reports:
The developer behind an exclusive new housing development in Dublin will not be providing any social housing on-site.
In the move, approved by Dublin City Council, Chartered Land developments has bought a block of apartments in Ringsend for social housing rather than provide such housing at its prestigious new Lansdowne Place development of apartments and penthouses in Ballsbridge.
… Up to 2015, under Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000 developers had to provide 20 per cent of units in a development to the local authority at a reduced rate for social housing. Developers could, however, make a financial contribution or provide land elsewhere to the council to fulfil their Part V obligations.
Amendments to the Act in 2015, intended to end this practice of developers “buying their way out” of the Part V rules reduced the Part V requirement to 10 per cent but also removed the “buy-out” options.
There is a provision, however, in the amended regulations that developers may, “subject to the agreement of the planning authority”, instead “transfer…units on site or off site” to the local authority.
…Housing analyst Lorcan Sirr said while he could understand the “pragmatism” of the council’s approach, “it shows how fluid a concept ‘social mix’ really is”.
“It seems to be absolutely crucial in poorer places like O’Devaney Gardens, but not so in Ballsbridge. It also throws into sharp relief the consequences of the State relying on the private sector to provide social housing it should be providing itself.”
Developer not providing social housing at Ballsbridge site (Kitty Holland, The Irish Times)
Pics: Chartered Land