FINGAL COUNTY COUNCIL has launched a public consultation for plans to transform lands in Dublin’s Dunsink into a “residential-led, mixed-use neighbourhood”.
The townland has an area of around 1.7 kilometres and is located inside the M50 between Blanchardstown and Finglas.
Earlier this year, the council approved an update to Fingal’s Development Plan 2023–2029 to bring the lands at Dunsink forward for the delivery of 2,500 new homes.
Under the council’s draft plans, the area would become ‘Dunsink City Quarter’ and centre around eight development areas, including three residential neighbourhoods: Dunsink East, Dunsink Central and Dunsink West.
The draft plan also commits to delivering new schools, parks, active travel networks and cultural amenities.
It proposes a ‘cultural quarter’ centred on Dunsink Observatory as well as a new regional park and recreational hub on the former landfill.
According to the council, the plan also has the potential to deliver an estimated 18,500 homes in three phases.
The first phase would see the construction of an initial 2,500 homes, followed by a further 8,000 homes in phase two and adding another 8,000 homes in the final phase. This would include a range of designs and tenures in the development, including social, affordable purchase, cost rental and private sales.
The draft plan also includes new transport links, like enhanced connections to the adjacent Ashtown and Navan Road Parkway train stations, the Luas Green Line extension to Tyrrelstown, the implementation of a local bus service to Blanchardstown, and the extension of bus routes to serve Dunsink.
It is also proposed that greenway extensions would link Dunsink to both train stations, the Royal Canal, Hamilton Way and Tolka Valley greenways, as well as to the new regional park and recreational hub, which will eventually be incorporated into “an Active Travel loop”, linking each section of the city quarter to each other.
Fingal County Council secured funding in excess of €20 million under the government’s €1 billion Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund (HIIF) to deliver upgrades at the Dunsink Lands, including improvements to Scribblestown and Dunsink Lane and associated infrastructure.
“This HIIF investment will support road widening and realignment, alongside the delivery of a new active travel greenway, enabling the development of this strategically important landbank,” a spokesperson said.
The council also said the provision of community centres, crèches and schools is an “integral part” of the plans, with each phase committing to providing these in tandem with new housing, streets, active travel routes and public lighting.
“Dunsink City Quarter represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver much-needed homes at scale while creating a vibrant, inclusive community for people to live, work and thrive,” Fingal County Council chief AnnMarie Farrelly said.
“As part of the variation to our Development Plan, extensive work was undertaken to inform our approach to planning for future needs in the County. This new City Quarter in Dunsink will play a key role in that, and we are committed to delivering it.”
The plans can be inspected from 19 June to 31 July at Fingal County Council’s officers on Main Street, Swords and Grove Road, Blanchardstown. They can also be seen at Fingal Branch Libraries.
The documents may also be viewed on Fingal County Council’s website.