Land Development Agency and Horse Racing Ireland reach land transfer agreement with potential to deliver 800 homes at Leopardstown Racecourse

The Land Development Agency (LDA) and Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) have reached an agreement on the transfer of land with the potential to deliver 800 homes at Leopardstown Racecourse in south Dublin

Both parties have reached an agreement that will see HRI transfer ownership of c.17 acres of land to the LDA. The new development will be served by the activation of a new Luas station located on the site.

The two state bodies will work collaboratively and in consultation with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council on a new masterplan for Leopardstown, which will deliver much-needed affordable housing and protect and further develop the leading racecourse and its extensive racing and non-racing facilities.

The land transfer follows positive engagement between the LDA and HRI to ensure the best outcome for both parties.

Design and planning work on the site-wide masterplan and proposed housing development will commence immediately. Subject to planning, the LDA land will be used to deliver new, A-rated homes, which will be located next to the existing, but currently unused Leopardstown Luas stop.

The area surrounding Leopardstown Racecourse is well located next to the M50 and the Green Luas line. It also benefits from a range of services and amenities.

Land at HRI’s campus in Leopardstown was first identified as having the potential for housing in the Government’s Housing for All plan.

Taoiseach, Micheál Martin T.D. said:

“I am delighted to see these lands being made available to support the delivery of homes at scale, close to critical amenities, in an area of great need. Solving the housing challenge requires collaboration across our society, from Government to a range of private and public bodies. I commend HRI for making its contribution and look forward to seeing more of these types of transfers, allowing us to unlock State Land to provide much needed homes for people and families across the country. I look forward to seeing progress in Leopardstown over the coming years.”

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD said:

“This is a positive development, and I would like to commend the LDA and HRI for reaching agreement on the transfer of this land. The LDA has the resources it needs to deliver housing at scale and has proven that it can do so quickly to a very high standard. The LDA already has a strong pipeline of development land, but it’s crucial that it is able to access more, especially State-owned land like this with the potential to deliver a high number of homes in a well located and well-serviced area. I would like to thank HRI for working with the LDA on this land transfer. This decision by HRI will have a lasting impact and it can be proud of the significant contribution it has made to help address the country’s urgent housing need. HRI is now one of a growing number of state bodies that has agreed to or has transferred land to the LDA. I would encourage others to review their land holdings and to discuss possible transfers with the LDA as a matter of urgency.”

Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine Martin Heydon TD said:

“I welcome this agreement and the transfer of a section of the wider Leopardstown Racecourse campus lands to the LDA for the delivery of affordable housing. This agreement will both pave the way for the further development of the wider Leopardstown campus as well as providing HRI with appropriate funding to develop the industry overall. I would like to thank HRI for the role it played in reaching this agreement and I would like to wish both HRI and the LDA the very best in finalising and moving forward with the new masterplan.”

John Coleman, CEO of the Land Development Agency said:

“We are delighted to announce that we have reached an agreement to acquire land at Horse Racing Ireland’s Leopardstown campus. Pending planning approval, the site will accommodate over 800 new homes in what is an area of great housing need in Dublin. The agreement follows positive engagement between the LDA and HRI. I would like to thank HRI for supporting and accommodating the delivery of affordable housing and I look forward to working with HRI to support and assist the ambitious plans for the further development of the wider Leopardstown Racecourse campus. This transfer of State-owned land to the LDA is a leading example of what can be achieved when state bodies are open to making the best use of land they own and work with the LDA to facilitate the delivery of much-need affordable homes while safeguarding their own existing and future needs. The LDA is now under construction on 16 sites for over 5,000 homes across the country and we will be adding further new construction starts in the coming months.”

Suzanne Eade, CEO of Horse Racing Ireland said:

“We are pleased to announce this land transfer, which will allow for the potential development of a significant number of new and much-needed homes. Crucially for an industry that contributes in excess of €2.46bn to the Irish economy annually, the agreement safeguards our plans to further develop the Leopardstown Racecourse campus and to improve what is already a proven world-class horse racing facility, while fostering a sustainable mixed-use neighbourhood benefiting the greater Dublin area.