Residents reservations over project for 5,000 new homes

Residents in Inchicore have expressed their reservations about a massive “re-imaging” project for Dublin city that would see up to 5,000 new homes in the area.

The public consultation has now closed for Dublin City Council’s Kylemore Masterplan, which proposes to rezone around 52 hectares of industrial land between the Grand Canal and the main Dublin Commuter rail line.

The move comes as Dublin City Council must now deliver over 8,000 housing units per year from 2025 to 2034 under the targets set by the Department of Housing under the National Planning Framework in July.

The Kylemore Masterplan requires a variation to the Dublin City Development Plan 2022-2028, to change the land use zoning of the 52 hectares of “predominantly Z6 Employment/Enterprise lands… at Kylemore to Z14 Strategic Development and Regeneration Area” and to designate the Kylemore Masterplan as a new Strategic Development and Regeneration Area (SRDA).

“An anticipated 4000-5,300 residential units can be supported in the Masterplan, the SRDA plan, published on the DCC consultation portal, stated.

“The urban structure, block layouts, building envelopes and heights illustrated have formed the basis of the quantum of development and mix of uses that the Kylemore lands can support.

“The area will be easy to navigate via new pedestrian and cycle routes which will create walkable neighbourhoods, [and] the area will support a thriving local economy, and excellent community facilities,” it read.

Up to 47 submissions were received from the public and other stakeholders during the council’s public consultation, which closed on Wednesday, January 21.

Many of these submissions came from residents of the historic CIE Works Estate and the surrounding area, citing concerns over increased traffic congestion, proposed heights for apartment blocks along the Jamestown Road and Kylemore Way, and amenities for incoming residents.

While a number of the submissions did acknowledge “the need for increased high density housing in urban Dublin” and welcomed the proposal to utilise “local vacant industrial land”, many were concerned about the impact of the Kylemore Masterplan on the “community life of those who lives in our historic estate”.

Concerns were raised about existing homes being overshadowed by a nine-storey apartment block proposed in the SRDA plan on the Irish Rail Inchicore Railway Works site, in particular from residents on Abercorn Terrace and Tyrconnell Park.

“Locally higher buildings of up to maximum nine storeys are proposed to the eastern portion of the district due to the existing context,” the plan stated, adding that while the intention is for a “prevailing height of three to eight storeys”, buildings up to 15 storeys “are considered appropriate along Kylemore Road”.

“The proposed 9-storey building… will result in an inevitable loss of light to the front and back gardens of Abercorn and St Patrick’s Terraces as well as to the triangular green in front,” one submission noted, adding that the green is a well-used and valued public amenity for residents both young and old.

Proposed two-way traffic access for the new developments along South Terrace was also raised as a concern, with one submission noting “significant volumes of traffic will be added to this already overstretched thoroughfare through the addition of new apartments and increased access”.

“Progress in providing affordable houses is overdue but not at the cost of destroying the quality of life for a community that has been here since the 1800s,” another resident noted.

A submission from Inchicore Athletic FC credited DCC for their “vision for regeneration within Dublin” but called for “high priority be given to the development of sports pitches to include multi-use pitches attached to schools that can be shared with the schools and the community”.

“The large-scale urban brownfield nature of the Kylemore area invariably means that the regeneration process will be a complex one,” the SRDA plan stated.

“The regeneration of these lands will be gradual, and for this reason careful phasing is critical to ensure that existing businesses and new residential uses can be successfully integrated.”

The council will now undertake a review of the Kylemore Masterplan and all public submissions for inclusion in the Dublin City Development Plan 2022-2028.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme