Dublin City Council has submitted a planning application for ten new social homes in Finglas designed with “natural surveillance” in mind as a result of requests from local residents.
A Part 8 planning application for social homes at Berryfield Drive / Valeview Gardens in south Finglas was lodged today. DCC has stated the development has been “carefully designed as an infill housing scheme” that will “improve the relationship between homes and the surrounding streets”.
The scheme comprises ten own-door homes arranged in a two-storey, U-shaped development. The proposed homes include six two-bedroom houses, organised in two terraces, bookended by four one-bedroom apartments.
Located on a 0.3-hectare site identified by Dublin City Council's Finglas Area Office, local residents had highlighted its housing potential and the council has said having homes there will increase “natural surveillance of public spaces”. As part of the proposal, Berryfield Drive would be reconfigured into two shorter cul-de-sacs.
The site of the development had been subjected to instances of anti-social behaviour and according to a North West Area Committee briefing had been intended to be a secure play area. “This former play area has been the subject of repeated vandalism, including the burning out of cars, to the point that it has lost its railings, walls and trees and is currently an unsightly dumping ground and focus for antisocial behaviour including dangerous joyriding,” the report stated.
“The excess of road area in the estate is contributing to the uncontrollable nature of the public realm, with the relatively low number of dwellings proportional to the road space unable to provide the necessary passive supervision required to discourage antisocial behaviour."
The new development will include two ground-floor apartments that would be accessed from Valeview Gardens, while the two upper-floor apartments would have separate entrances from Berryfield Drive east and west. The upper-floor apartments will include private terraces positioned above their entrances, which the local authority stated will “strengthen the connection between residents and the street”.
The ground-floor apartments will feature south-facing terraces overlooking the existing public open space at Valeview Gardens, providing greater “passive surveillance” of the 352 sq m green area and contributing to a “safer and more attractive environment”. The development also includes supporting infrastructure and public realm improvements, including a new vehicle entrance from Cardiffsbridge Road, the relocation of a bus stop 15 metres northwards, and the diversion of underground services.
The scheme also includes Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS), new tree planting, and upgrades to the public open space at Valeview Gardens. A key objective of the development is to provide social housing while ensuring “better-connected public spaces” that strengthen the existing community.
Lord Mayor Daryl Barron welcomed the initiative and explained it is a response to requests from the residents of Berryfield Drive and Valeview Gardens. He said the project is about more than “providing much needed family homes” as it will “help foster a vibrant community of existing and new residents”. “The foundational pillars of healthy civic society are security, cleanliness, and housing, and this project delivers on all three,” he said.
“I am particularly pleased to see that the design gives every resident their own front door, to encourage an active and safe public realm which should strengthen the Berryfield and Valeview Gardens communities by giving residents more control over their streets and open spaces.”
Housing SPC chairperson Cllr Deirdre Heney said the new homes highlight the council’s commitment to “improving existing housing estates”. She also pointed out its close proximity to the extension to the Green Luas line stop at St Helena’s in Finglas.
Assistant Chief Executive Mick Mulhern said the public consultation for Berryfield Drive represents an important milestone in the development of this “difficult site”. He said the completion will improve the lives of the people in the local community as well as families from the council’s housing list.
“The benefits of well-thought-out housing design extend far beyond the families being housed to the wider community and Dublin City Council is delighted to announce the publication of this scheme,” he said.
Details of the proposed development will be available for public inspection for four weeks from 30 July 2026 at the Public Counter, Dublin City Council Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin 8. Information can also be viewed online at https://engage.dublincity.ie and www.dublincity.ie.
This content is funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
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