The Land Development Agency (LDA) and Dublin City Council (DCC) are pleased to announce the securing of planning approval for Bluebell Waterways, a new social and affordable housing development in Dublin 12.
The project is located beside the 5th Lock on the Grand Canal at the former filter bed complex and will provide almost 400 homes, as well as new community spaces and active travel links.
Planning approval was secured through a Part 8 application, which is the process local authorities can use to propose and secure approval for Local Authority developments. The application was lodged in May of this year, and councillors have now voted in favour of the project going ahead. It follows more than a year of extensive consultation with locals, community groups and businesses. Bluebell Community Council have worked closely with both the delivery team and local people to ensure that community voices were central to the proposals.
The development will now deliver 383 high-quality, sustainable homes on a 2.8-hectare site, owned by Dublin City Council. The homes will be a mix of studio, one, two and three bed apartments in five apartment blocks ranging from 5 to 9 storeys. The development will also include community spaces, a crèche and landscaped open spaces.
A total of 150 of the homes will be social (39%) and the remaining 233 will be cost rental apartments (61%). The latter will provide secure long-term rental accommodation at discounted market rates and will be managed by the LDA, while DCC will manage the social homes.
The area surrounding Bluebell Waterways is already well served by road and public transport services and the new development will build on the existing connections by prioritising new footpaths and cycleways and creating a green corridor linking to the planned canal greenway.
The securing of approval for Bluebell Waterways is the latest positive news for the project, after it was named winner of the Housing/Community Project Award at the Irish Planning Institute Awards 2025. The award recognises residential developments that offer diverse tenures, mixed-use and high-quality design, with climate action and sustainable travel considerations.
Bluebell Waterways is due to be built in two phases, with a mix of Social and Cost Rental homes in both phases. Construction is scheduled to start in 2026.
Phelim O’Neill, Director of Development at the Land Development Agency said:
“We are delighted to secure planning approval for this exciting and transformative project, and we now look forward to getting construction underway. Bluebell Waterways will deliver much needed social and affordable homes in a fantastic location next to the Grand Canal. It will also create new facilities and amenities, which will benefit both residents and the wider community. The securing of planning approval follows an extensive period of public consultation, and I would like to thank everyone who took part in that process. I would also like to thank Dublin City Council for partnering with us on this project and for continuing to work closely with us on the delivery of new housing developments across Dublin.”
Mick Mulhern, Assistant Chief Executive and Director of Housing at Dublin City Council said:
“This is another milestone in the regeneration of one of Dublin’s oldest communities. Bluebell Waterways is going to be a great place to live in what is already a vibrant and well-served community. We are pleased to have secured planning approval, and we now look ahead to creating a safe and social environment for existing and future residents. I would like to thank the LDA for partnering with us on this award-winning project and for continuing to work in partnership with us on other housing developments throughout the City and its suburbs.”
A Part 8 application is a planning process for developments carried out directly by a local authority. This includes projects such as constructing homes, libraries, new roads, recycling centres, and other public infrastructure.
A key part of the process is public consultation, allowing residents to view plans and submit observations.
As part of the process, a local authority publicises details of a proposed development. A period is then set aside for the public to make written submissions or observations on the proposals.
After the consultation period, the chief executive of the local authority prepares a report summarising any submissions received. This report includes a recommendation on whether to proceed with the development.
The report is then presented to the elected members of the council, who can vote to approve, modify, or reject the proposal.
The LDA and DCC are partnering on a number of residential projects in Dublin in addition to Bluebell Waterways.
They include:
| Donore Project: | Construction is ongoing on this landmark development in Dublin’s South Inner City. The project is being delivered on the former St Teresa’s Gardens site, which is owned by DCC, and includes a total of 542 new homes, consisting of 389 cost rental and 153 social housing apartments. |
| Cherry Orchard Point: | Construction is due to start on the first phase of this major new housing development in Cherry Orchard in west Dublin on land owned by DCC. In total, the LDA and DCC are planning to deliver about 1,131 homes in four phases, which will include cost rental, affordable purchase and social homes in addition to a creche, retail spaces and new facilities and amenities. |
| An tSrúill: | Construction is ongoing at this new 146-home development on Cromcastle Road in Coolock in Dublin 5. The project includes 133 cost rental and 13 social homes, as well as new community, cultural and open spaces. |
| Dolphin House Estate: | The partnership will develop Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the project, which will deliver over 600 social and affordable homes and amenity spaces, based on the DCC masterplan agreed for the regeneration project. |
The Land Development Agency (LDA) is the State’s affordable housing delivery body. Its main role is to acquire and develop State and other land to deliver affordable homes to address the country’s housing need.
The Agency has commenced construction on various state-sourced and privately acquired land and has a delivery pipeline in excess of 25,000 homes through its direct delivery and homebuilder partnership channels.
Additionally, the LDA undertakes work on large-scale longer-term strategic areas by master-planning and bringing forward planning applications in locations such as Limerick Colbert Quarter, the Digital Hub in Dublin and Sandy Road in Galway.
The LDA is also responsible for a range of public functions including research, master planning and the development of construction guidelines and best practices. The LDA has produced and now regularly updates the Report on Relevant Public Land, which identified 102 State owned sites with the potential for 70,830 homes.
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