Four large Dublin housing developments seek permission under 'fast-track' system

Planning permission is being sought for more than 1,200 housing units in Dublin and Kildare.

Plans for the four large housing developments have been filed directly with An Bord Pleanála under the new fast-track mechanism that sees decisions made within 16 weeks.

Atlas GP wants to build 234 apartments and duplexes in Brennanstown Road, Cabinteely, while in nearby Gort Mhuire in Dundrum, Crekav Trading GP plans to develop 116 apartments and Summix WSC Developments proposes student accommodation, with 373 bed spaces, on the site of Brewery Block in Dublin 8.

A large development is also planned for Osberstown in Naas, Co Kildare, comprising 500 houses and apartments.

Meanwhile, The GAA and the Archdiocese of Dublin are planning to sell off a site for up to 1,200 apartments on the northside of the city.

The site near the Archbishop's Palace in Drumcondra includes Church lands of 19 acres the GAA had been planning to buy.

The Irish Times reports the deal could be worth €100m - but it is not clear how the proceeds will be split.

Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown councillor Jim Gildea said: " We have a chronic shortage of houses right across Dublin. I welcome anything that will burst that bubble of too many people chasing too few units."

Labour spokesman on urban renewal councillor Joe Costello said the land should be going towards social housing and added that Catholic institutions still have a duty to pay for compensation for victims of sexual abuse:

"I think it's wrong for the church to be making those lands available for sale on the private market because first of all, it's a prime site, and secondly because the redress fund which the Catholic church is committed to has been left in half paid at this stage, they still owe over €250 million in that and if there's a tag of €100 million, that would go a long way towards the redress funds