Ballymore gets Green Light for new homes in Balbriggan

Ballymore has revealed exciting plans for a new affordable housing development in north County Dublin in partnership with the Land Development Agency (LDA).

The company will build 207 affordable purchase homes and 52 social homes in Phase I of Hampton Demesne, formerly Castlelands, in Balbriggan, Co Dublin. Construction will commence within weeks.

Phase I of the project will include delivery of Castlelands Link Street [alternatively, a new Castlelands distributor road], 840m of new road infrastructure connecting Hamilton Road with the R127, and including a new road bridge over the Dublin–Belfast rail line to improve connectivity in the town.

Works will also include the realignment of 400m of the R127 and the creation of a new traffic-signalled junction, as well as estate roads, service diversions and a new foul pumping station.

The scheme is ultimately intended to deliver more than 800 affordable purchase, cost rental and social homes.

Sean Mulryan, founder and chief executive of Ballymore Group said: “We are delighted to partner with the Land Development Agency in building these high-quality, sustainable A-rated homes in a beautiful coastal setting.

“Balbriggan is a town with a rich history and a vibrant, young population, and we trust our development will support its continued growth and vitality. By building homes to the highest standards of design, creativity and architecture, the community will thrive into the future.

The Castlelands site is located on the southern edge of Balbriggan [to the north of Ardgillan Castle] in a strategic coastal location bounded by established housing estates to the north and west, agricultural greenfield lands to the south, and the Irish Sea to the east. The overall site extends to 25.33 hectares and has been identified as a key growth area for the town.

In partnership with the LDA, Ballymore will deliver Phase 1 of the project along with the enabling infrastructure works over a timeframe of roughly three years providing 259 new homes, comprising:

• Affordable-for-sale: 207 homes, made up of 51 two-bed houses, 144 three-bed houses, and 12 four-bed houses.
• Social homes: 52 units, including 36 one-bed apartments and 16 two-bed apartments.
  A new public park featuring a playground, multi-use games areas, basketball courts, outdoor gym, skateboard plaza, bike/pump track, and landscaped green areas for residents and the wider community.
• Full site development works including access roads, car parking, footpaths, drainage, services, lighting, landscaping, and boundary treatments.

Enabling works will include the delivery of the Castlelands Link Street, running approximately 840m from the Castlelands Park Avenue Roundabout on Hamilton Road to the R127, crossing the Dublin–Belfast rail line via a new road-over-rail bridge. Works also include the vertical realignment of c. 400m of the R127, a new signalised junction, estate roads, service diversions, and a new foul pumping station.

A showhome is planned to be delivered approximately one year after construction commences, with the first affordable-for-sale homes released to the market around that stage.

This first phase of Hampton Demesne represents the beginning of a major regeneration opportunity for Balbriggan, bringing high-quality affordable housing, new community facilities, and vital infrastructure that will support the sustainable growth of the town.

In addition to Hampton Demesne, the LDA has also started work on 345 homes at Priory Fields in Skerries with the first phase of 176 homes being undertaken by Lydon, the construction company.

The development, previously referred to as Hacketstown, consists of one-, two-, and three-bed apartments, ranging in height from two to four storeys. The 3-bed houses will be delivered in Phase 2. The project also includes a crèche, community space and pedestrian and cycle routes. Priory Fields is located a short distance from Skerries town centre and a 10-minute walk from Skerries train station.

Asked to comment on the delivery of new homes in both Balbriggan and Skerries, John Coleman, Chief Executive of the LDA, said: “These are significant developments for the LDA and mark a major delivery milestone in the provision of affordable housing. I would like to recognise the considerable work undertaken by both the LDA and its construction partners Ballymore and Lydon as well as colleagues in Fingal County Council in getting us to this stage for both projects.

These sites are superbly located and will enhance the existing communities in Balbriggan and Skerries. When these developments come to fruition, the homes and amenities will foster lasting communities and generate a positive social impact for new and existing residents.”

Ballymore has built more than 15,000 homes in Ireland and 20,000 in the UK, earning more than 80 awards for excellence. In Ireland, its footprint spans several counties, including Kildare, Dublin, and Wicklow with the company committed to delivering 500 family homes in Ireland each year.

It has established Dublin Landings as a new commercial centre at North Wall Quay, and is working in partnership with Diageo and CIE to design and deliver mixed-use developments at the Guinness brewery and Connolly Station in Dublin.