Council pauses plans for social housing on Howth site, after price tag rises to €750,000 each

Local councillors were left frustrated by news that the council’s planned redevelopment of a site in Howth as social housing has stalled, at the Howth-Malahide area committee meeting on 7 May. 

The now vacant site on Tuckett’s Lane is an eyesore, said Fianna Fáil Councillor Cathal Haughey. “I think that part of Howth does need some TLC from Fingal County Council.”

Social Democrats Councillor Joan Hopkins says she has lost track of how many times the Tuckett’s Lane site has been on their agenda. “I think that it’s a total disaster that we spent over a decade on a site we’re now saying is a difficult site.”

Back in 2015, the council had allocated €50,000 to turn the vacant site into a park. 

But in November 2018, officials put forward a proposal to redevelop it as eight social housing apartments – four one-beds and four two-beds – and the council granted permission to proceed with that in February 2019.

Six years later, on 25 March, following a review into costs, the council officials concluded that the project wasn’t viable, according to a letter from senior executive officer Aoife Lawlor to Haughey.

The estimated cost of each home had risen from €500,000 to €750,000 per home, said Lawlor at the May area committee meeting. “That’s not good value for money from anybody’s viewpoint.”

Lawlor was responding to a motion tabled by Haughey, asking for clarity on what the plan was for the site, as well as the mound that borders homeowners nearby on St Lawrence Terrace and if the old landscaping works were being considered again.

Currently, there is a review to see if “some housing” can be built on the site, said Fiona Glynn, an administrative officer in Fingal’s Housing Department. “This will determine the future plans for the park.”

Once the review is done and viability is confirmed, they will be able to work on a plan for the site, she said.

But in the interim, Fingal’s Operations Department will be using it as a temporary compound during June, while works take place on a drainage project, she said.

If housing is possible, Haughey said he wouldn’t oppose it. “If we can’t put housing there, I really do think we need to look at the former plans to turn it into a proper park for people near and far to use.”