A landmark development

The Land Development Agency’s first affordable housing project on state-owned land is a ‘testament’ to what can be achieved.

On 20 September 2024, Taoiseach Simon Harris TD and Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien TD, officially launched the first phase of Shanganagh Castle Estate near Dublin’s Shankill.

The new housing development is a joint project between the Land Development Agency (LDA) and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council (DLR). It consists of 597 affordable purchase, cost rental and social homes and its delivery is a landmark moment for the LDA for two key reasons.
The estate is the largest state-delivered housing project in decades and the first to be directly delivered by the Agency on state-owned land. It also serves as a tangible example of the LDA’s vision and its mission to develop not just new homes, but new, high quality, well-served and sustainable communities.

The first phase of the estate had been delivered on time and on budget, just two years after the sod-turning event on the DLR-owned site. Shanganagh is just one of a significant pipeline of LDA developments that can deliver at least 18,000 homes in the coming years.

The State’s affordable housing body delivers through two main channels. The first is direct delivery and involves the development of housing on state-owned or acquired land in which the LDA either oversees the entire project or partners with local authorities to build on land they own.

The second involves housebuilder partnerships, where the LDA partners with homebuilders and provides the financial impetus required to complete housing projects.
Significant progress is now being made on both fronts. The latest update shows there are 20 direct delivery projects involving over 10,000 homes at various stages from design and planning though to enabling works and construction.

In addition to Shanganagh, work is well underway at St Kevin’s Hospital in Cork and Devoy Barracks in Kildare. By year end, construction will have started on at least two further sites at St Teresa’s Gardens and Cromcastle in Dublin.

Meanwhile, the LDA has already delivered or is in the process of delivering over 3,000 homes through its homebuilder partnerships with a further 5,000 planned by 2028.

At the same time, the Agency continues to access more land through transfers from state bodies, market acquisitions and increasingly through partnerships with local authorities.

This level of activity means the LDA will soon become the country’s largest homebuilder and highlights the Agency’s ability to assist in meeting the country’s housing need.

But it is not just a numbers game. In keeping with its role and remit, the LDA seeks to maximise the potential of the land it accesses to deliver the right type of housing in the right place at the right price, something it has clearly achieved in Shanganagh Castle Estate.

Of the 597 homes involved, 200 are social apartments and 51 are affordable purchase homes. There are also 40 affordable purchase and 306 cost rental apartments. The housing mix includes homes suitable for individuals, couples and families, with a total of 99 three-bedroom houses and apartments.

With the application of government supports through equity contributions, prices for the affordable purchase homes in Shanganagh will start at €334,600, which is significantly below their full market price. Rents for the cost rental apartments start from €1,175 a month, which is at least 30 per cent lower than equivalent market rates.

Eligible candidates will have the opportunity to secure a new home in a superb location next to Shanganagh Park and near to both Shankill and Bray. There will be a creche, café and community facilities within the estate with a host of shops, services, gyms, sports clubs and golf courses nearby.

Households will enjoy mountain and sea views while those with active lifestyles can explore the area’s hiking trails, coastal walks and beaches. The estate is next to the N11 and M50 roads and is well-served by public transport. There are regular buses running to and from the city centre and Dún Laoghaire with a new Bus Connects route planned.

The nearby Shankill DART station provides access to Dublin city centre, and a new station is being developed at Woodbrook, which is a 10 minute walk from the estate on a dedicated route through Shanganagh Park.

There are also a number of primary and secondary schools in the area, including Scoil Mhuire, Woodbrook College, St Gerard’s School, Presentation College, St. Killian’s, and Loreto Secondary School.

In addition to a wonderful location, residents should also enjoy low-cost living in what will be one of Europe’s largest passive housing schemes, once fully completed.

While the apartments are passive, the houses are all A-rated, with features such as heat recovery ventilation and air to water heat pumps. They are also well-insulated with excellent indoor air quality.

Active travel and community integration was a key consideration for both the LDA and DLR, with a focus on bicycle parking provision, working from home features, communal green and play spaces.

The LDA’s focus on sustainability was also a key factor in the construction methods used to deliver the development.

Walls Construction, the contracted developer, deployed precast concrete and other prefabricated elements to reduce labour and improve efficiency. This resulted in fewer deliveries to the site, reduced waste and increased precision with less cutting and drilling needed on site.

The materials excavated in the construction process were reused to develop roads, promoting circularity while great care was taken to prioritise and protect the location’s plants and wildlife to the point where the development is expected to have a net positive impact on the area’s biodiversity.

Speaking at the launch event, LDA Chief Executive John Coleman said the project was a major development for the LDA. He thanked both DLR and Walls Construction for their work in delivering the project and the government for funding the LDA’s work.

Taoiseach Simon Harris TD said the delivery of affordable housing on state-owned land was a priority for the government and that Shanganagh Castle Estate was a “testament to what can be achieved”.

For more information:
W: www.lda.ie