Social housing of 100 per cent is ‘not sustainable’
By Maurice Garvey
RESIDENTS believe proposals to introduce a housing development with 100 per cent social housing in Chapelizod are not sustainable for the community.
Dublin City Council are planning to build approximately 85 social housing units at a current allotment site on the Chapelizod Road, across the road from the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The site in Chapelizod planned for social housing
Proposals for the Springvale development are expected to increase the population of the area to between eight and 10 per cent.
Peter Kavanagh, Chair of Chapelizod Tidy Towns, said a big concern for residents was the lack of affordable housing within the proposal.
“Some of the development has to be affordable and allow our young people the opportunity to come back and keep the village ethos alive,” said Mr Kavanagh.
“We are not against social housing, we have a Cluid-run building for 36 people in the village.
“But 100 per cent of anything leads to an isolated community. Roughly 60 per cent of people living in the apartments are transient, and it is a challenge to get people involved as volunteers for tidy towns.
“It has to be sustainable for the community. If there is a 10 per cent increase of population coming in, well, we welcome everyone, but we need the infrastructure in place.”
Kavanagh cited a previous development scheme plan for the area containing a mix of social and affordable housing with retail and community units on ground level.
Fell by the wayside during the recession
Although the city council and local resident groups agreed on the plan back in 2005, it fell by the wayside during the recession.
Kavanagh says this has contributed to many of their younger residents moving away, and cited St Michael’s Estate in Inchicore as another missed opportunity by housing authorities to help people buy a family home.
He continued: “We haven’t got room for expansion. A major problem is dereliction. From the point of view of people in the village, we would love to get rid of the dereliction.
“It is something we get hammered for every year in Tidy Towns. We have told the city council that it is their buildings and they can do something about it. One of them is derelict since 1955.
“The government talk about affordable housing, but there has to be a better social mix than 100 per cent social housing, something to bring our younger people back.”
In a recent report, DCC said the Springvale development is expected to facilitate a mixture of one, two and three-bed units, in a building of up to five storeys.
The premises is for wider community use with a local scouts’ group to be accommodated.
It is estimated approximately 200 people will live there – however locals believe the figure will be closer to 264.
DCC expect to lodge a Part 8 application by the end of the year, with construction to commence in spring 2019.
At a meeting in June between residents, councilors and the city council, it was agreed that a social impact study would be carried out, and that a small group would be set up to liase with architects regarding the design of the scheme.
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