Lagan Homes has received permission to build a 494-home scheme in South Dublin despite considerable local opposition to the development.
The development, which will be a mixture of houses and mid-rise apartment blocks in Ballycullen, Dublin 16, was granted permission from South Dublin County Council.
Belfast-headquartered Lagan Homes acquired the land in 2024 for €16 million following “strong interest from numerous parties” for the site. The price at the time was described as “unsurprising” by the agent in the deal, Sherry FitzGerald.
The developer sought permission to build 197 two-storey houses, and 305 apartments spread across 28 three- and four-storey apartment blocks in April 2025. The number was reduced 494 homes following requests for further information, with eight homes being cut from the original proposal.
RM Block
The scheme will also feature a creche, more than 550 car parking spaces, and space for 1,325 bicycles. It is expected to be developed in two phases.
Local residents submitted 40 different observations regarding the scheme, with the size of the development being a common concern.
One nearby resident said the development was “approximately 200 units larger than the previous application we successfully objected to” referring to a previous bid for an 329-home development on the same site in 2021, which was blocked by the High Court.
The resident said the problems they had raised on the previous development are “now ever more serious due to the increased scale of the proposed build”.
Residents also raised concerns surrounded overlooking, visual impact, and that the development would lead to an “excessive and unsustainable” increase in the population of the area.
The development would, one nearby resident said, “introduce a population density wholly incompatible with the infrastructure available.”
The resident also said that the “already burdened” local road network would be impacted by the new estate.
Another resident said the proposed development was not at a height “in keeping with local estates” and argued it would “undermine the environment setting that defines [their] peaceful estate” beside the site in question. They also noted the schools in the vicinity, noting the “influx of new families will put an unbearable strain” on the existing education network.
Despite the objections to the development, South Dublin County Council found that the development “would not seriously injure the amenities of the area or of property in the vicinity”.
It further noted that the height and mixture of the development was “generally acceptable” and would not lead to “any significant off-site overshadowing impacts” and thus granted permission for the development subject to 30 conditions.
The developer will make a €5.4 million development contribution to the local authority, in addition to a €300,000 contribution to fund the development of a local community centre.
“We are delighted to have received notification of decision in Ballycullen for494 new homes and a crèche,” said Chris Carroll, the managing director of Lagan Homes in the Republic of Ireland.
“This marks an important milestone in helping to meet local housing demand while supporting the creation of a vibrant new neighbourhood in South Dublin,” he said, noting the project will generate “significant employment during its delivery and contribute directly to national housing targets by providing much-needed new homes in the area.”
A part of the Lagan Group, which is owned by Kevin Lagan, Lagan Homes operates in Northern Ireland, the Republic, and England.
