Fearing effort to build social homes in Howth will stall, council prepares backup plan

Fingal County Council is preparing a back-up plan for the long-vacant Tuckett’s Lane site in Howth, a council official told the Howth-Malahide Area Committee meeting on Wednesday.

The council sorted planning permission to build eight social homes – four one-bed apartments, and four two-bed apartments – on the overgrown land in February 2019.

But they paused the project in March 2025, after a review found that the delivery costs were way too high.

After that, the council sent in a revised funding application to the Department of Housing for those eight homes, according to a report by Fiona Glynn, an administrative officer in Fingal’s Housing Department.

But they are still waiting for the department to get back on that, Glynn said in the written report to councillors.

That application was submitted to the Department of Housing in October, a council spokesperson said on Tuesday morning.

The council has followed up with the department a number of times, Aoife Lawlor, a council senior executive officer told the committee on Wednesday. “And we’re still awaiting that response.”

Just in case though, while they wait, council architects are carrying out a feasibility study for a different scheme on the site, she said.

This “backstop” would likely be delivered at a lower cost than that of the eight proposed social houses, she said. “There’ll be less homes, which is not what we want, because that’s an ideal site.”

But the council’s intention is still to deliver homes at Tuckett’s Lane, she said, “and to move onto site with that as soon as possible”.

A long road

Green Party Councillor David Healy submitted a motion to last Wednesday’s Howth area committee meeting asking for an update on the vacant site.

It has been a difficult site to develop, said Lawlor at the meeting. “There was significant delay in getting an agreement on use of the laneway from all the adjoining residents.”

The council has been engaging with residents since February 2017, with the last agreement only being signed in May 2024, she said. “So that delay has resulted in the council being unable to proceed with the project during that timeframe.”

Construction costs have also increased since planning was approved, she said.

Lawlor, in May 2025, told the committee that the estimated costs had soared from “in and around” €500,000 to €750,000 per home during that period.

According to a Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland report on the cost of apartment development from December 2025, the total cost of a suburban medium-rise two-bed flat is between €431,400 and €542,400 per unit.

Following the cost analysis review, the council sent the Department of Housing a revised funding application, she said. “Once that response has been received, we will be in a position to work through the plan for the site with the area committee.”

It is an understatement for the council to say Tuckett’s Lane is a difficult site given that there has been little progress in almost a decade, said Fianna Fáil Councillor Cathal Haughey. “It would lend you to the view, which is quite a reasonable argument that maybe, maybe the site is not workable.”

Somebody has to make a decision and either to fund it or not, said Social Democrats Councillor Joan Hopkins. “If they’re funding it, build them. If they’re not building them, make the place a park.”

The frustrations of residents and councillors is understandable, said Lawlor. “From my point of view, it was zoned for housing and it is our intention to progress for housing on the site.”

Challenges were created by local boundary issues, she said. “Some of the residents passed away, and that always leads to complications.”

But, that was resolved, she said.

With any construction scheme, the council has to deliver on value for money, and meet auditing requirements, she said. “We have to set down the criteria for the cost of delivering a home.”

This project didn’t meet that criteria when they reviewed costs after they secured permission, she said.

While the department decides on the revised funding application, the council will be carrying out the feasibility study on an alternative plan, which could likely be delivered at a lower cost, she said.

This second option would need to go through the process to get planning permission, Healy said. “Is the second option something which the department hasn’t yet started to consider?”

The department is only considering the existing plan for eight social homes, Lawlor said. “We’re hoping we can find a way to make it work. But we’re also putting a backstop in place if that doesn’t work.”

The delay in receiving a response from the department on the funding application could, however, be good news, she said. “It may be that they’re trying to find a way to support us in delivering this scheme.”

But if it’s not, they will look at alternatives going forward, she said.

A spokesperson for the Department said on Tuesday evening that the revised application differed significantly in scope and detail from the proposal that had previously been approved.

As a result of those substantial changes, it was necessary to undertake a full reassessment in line with standard evaluation procedures, they said. “This reassessment process is now nearing completion, and the outcome will be communicated to the Council in due course.”