Remaining Cromcastle Court residents are 'going to be living on a building site'
The “long overdue” regeneration of Cromcastle Court is moving forward, but councillors warn existing tenants living in poor conditions should not be left behind.
At Monday’s February meeting of Dublin City Council, representatives signed off on Part 8 planning for the demolition of the existing Cromcastle Court blocks at Kilmore West in Coolock and the construction of 152 new homes at the site. This redevelopment has been in the pipeline for almost 20 years , and residents feel they have been continually let down since it was first touted back in 2008.
Now, with the project closer to reality than it has ever been, there’s a feeling that tenants still living in the old blocks built as far back as the 1960s must not bear the brunt of construction chaos. Social Democrats Cllr Jesslyn Henry said that remaining residents are already living in horrendous conditions and “are now also going to be living on a building site.”
She welcomed the development moving forward but pointed out maintenance issues, as those still living at the complex have experienced major flooding and heating issues just over the past two weeks. “I want to raise the issue of anti-social behaviour that has grown in the area in the past while,” she added.
Cllr Henry cited the significant media attention that apartment complexes in the surrounding area, such as De Verdon Place , Burnell Place , and Bunratty Walk have received, and said they should be conscious these developments are just “a stone’s throw away from Cromcastle Court.” With external sources contributing to residents feeling like they are prisoners in their own homes, Cllr Henry stressed the importance of learning lessons from past mistakes.
“We’ve learned that the glass doors don’t work; we’ve learned that keypads on the doors don’t work. So, these design features must be taken into consideration so that residents in the new Cromcastle Court - like the ones discussed above - do not have to feel like they are living in hell, like one described to me,” she said.
“We must get better at taking into account the surrounding areas, the level of homelessness in the area, the levels of poverty and the services available in the community, and make an action plan for how to address these issues.”
Sinn Fein Cllr Edel Moran also welcomed the “crucial” redevelopment of Cromcastle Court, but stressed the importance of looking after residents who will remain in the meantime. She cited some who are “living in squalor with leaky pipes and no hot water.” She stressed the council look into de-tenanting remaining residents as soon as possible.
The long-standing delays for delivering this project were blasted by Sinn Fein Cllr Michael MacDonncha who said government regulation is making it a lot more difficult to deliver public housing on public land. He compared this to private developments, which “are seen flying up all over the city.” He too echoed the comments about looking after remaining residents who he said have been “treated very badly,” adding “it’s a disgrace.”
Housing Chief Exeuctive Mick Mulhern said they now appointing a contractor for the development, and councillors can expect building demolition to begin within the next two to three months. The delivery of new homes are anticipated by the end of Q4 2029.
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