The active management of the publicly owned housing land bank is part of a range of actions being progressed under the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, designed to accelerate and increase housing output. This is complementary to actions already undertaken to streamline the planning process, reform development contributions, and invest some €226 million in enabling infrastructure, through the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF), to facilitate housing delivery.
On 27 April 2017, details of some 1,700 hectares of land in local authority and Housing Agency ownership were published on the Rebuilding Ireland Housing Land Map, with the potential to deliver some 42,500 homes nationally. The map also includes details of some 300 hectares of land in ownership of other State or semi-State bodies, with the potential to deliver a further 7,500 homes. Details in relation to these sites can be viewed at the following link: http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/rebuilding-ireland-land-map/.
As the vast bulk of the land bank is under the control of the housing authorities and given their broader role as planning authorities, they are crucial in operationalising social and affordable housing delivery from their sites. Therefore, in order to ensure a consistent and comprehensive approach nationally, I have asked local authorities to prepare Strategic Development and Management Plans for housing lands in their ownership with particular emphasis on prioritising those sites with the most potential to deliver housing at scale, in the short to medium term, including mixed-tenure projects, where appropriate.
Importantly, local authorities are working to deliver a major social housing construction programme, encompassing 700 social housing construction projects which will provide some 11,000 new homes. Many of these projects are being advanced on local authority owned lands, and will produce a substantial quantum of new social housing in 2017 and 2018.
In the first instance, the final development model for each site, including the tenure mix, will be the subject of careful consideration by the local authority concerned, including its elected members. The procurement and tendering arrangements for the development of its sites is also matter for the local authority, who are required to publicly advertise to procure the services of interested contractors and developers.
The procurement for the development of a number of major local authority sites for mixed-tenure type housing is already underway. For example, South Dublin County Council is working to deliver approximately 900 social and affordable homes at Kilcarbery, Clondalkin on a 70:30 private and social housing proportional basis. In addition, Dublin City Council is advancing plans to redevelop a major site on the former O'Devaney Gardens lands off Infirmary Road. It can deliver nearly 600 homes, with a breakdown of 30% social; 20% affordable purchase; and 50% private. The Housing Agency is also in the process of finalising plans for the development for one of their sites at Enniskerry Road. It is expected that other State-owned sites will be brought forward in the near future.
In terms of broader State and semi-State lands, the CIE-owned Ceannt Station site in the centre of Galway city and lands at Connolly Station, Dublin have both been master planned and brought to market, seeking partners to develop the site for residential/commercial purposes. CIE is also working with my Department and the relevant local authorities regarding other sites in their ownership in Dublin and Limerick. I am also aware that lands owned by Galway Port are in the final stages of being master planned and Coillte are currently in the planning process in respect of land at Galway. Finally, the Department of Education is working with my Department regarding the optimal use of its surplus land bank.
My Department is continuing to work with all local authorities and State bodies to ensure that, where appropriate, housing is delivered from publicly owned sites that are strategically located, serviced and available for development.
