One man who’s been involved has been trying to organise a social event on a nearby council football pitch, something the council says it’s “monitoring”.
There should be a comprehensive, public database of who owns the properties in the city, says Francis Doherty of Peter McVerry Trust. “It’s in the public interest, the common good.”
The vision of CORE Ballymun is for a modern streetscape with affordable housing and retail, the profits from which would go back into the community. But it needs council support to become real.
Many council-owned apartments are sitting empty in ageing complexes scheduled to be torn down and rebuilt in the coming years. Some argue that people could live in them in the meantime.
The council owns 11 hectares in Belmayne, perhaps enough for 1,000 new homes. One councillor wonders why the council isn’t working faster to develop it.
Imagine you’ve invested in land in Dublin. How might government policies affect whether you hoard it or not? Play our game to see. Illustrations by Aidan Harte.
The site has been subject to a half-dozen planning applications over the last number of years. It’s on the council’s Vacant Sites Register, but its owners are appealing that.
