Housing Department Rejects Dublin City Council's Oliver Bond House Regeneration Plan
The Department of Housing rejected Dublin City Council's regeneration plan for Oliver Bond House, citing a reduction in homes. The Council's revised proposal aimed to retrofit 74 flats into 46 and add 43 new homes on an adjacent site, increasing overall homes. Minister James Browne has since conceded that the Bridgefoot Street site is part of the scheme, offering hope for residents awaiting modern housing.
Dublin City Council's plan for the regeneration of Oliver Bond House, built in the 1930s as part of a slum clearance program, has been rejected by the Department of Housing. The flats, designed by Herbert Simms, are damp-ridden and below modern standards. Residents, supported by the Community Action Network, took the Irish State to the European Committee of Social Rights in 2014, which found the State in breach of Article 16 of the Revised European Social Charter in 2017 for failing to ensure adequate housing.
In 2023, Dublin City Council secured Stage 1 approval for the first phase of regeneration. The initial proposal involved retrofitting 74 flats into 46 and building 12 new homes, resulting in a net reduction of 16 homes. A revised scheme submitted in December proposed the same reduction in flats (74 to 46) within three blocks, converting four ground-floor flats into community space, and building 43 new homes on an adjacent Council-owned site on Bridgefoot Street, leading to a net increase of 15 homes.
However, in April, the Department refused funding, citing a "large reduction in homes during a housing crisis." They argued that only 13 new flats within Oliver Bond House could be part of the scheme, not those on an adjacent site. The Department insisted on maintaining 68 of the 74 flats, reducing occupancy to meet space standards, which would result in a 41% reduction in bed spaces (to 114) and convert all units to studios or one-beds, unlike the Council's plan for a mix of unit sizes.
Minister for Housing James Browne met with the Oliver Bond Regeneration Forum, conceding that the scheme must include a mix of unit sizes and that Bridgefoot Street is part of the overall plan. Residents await further engagement between the Council and the Department. The Council's plan is seen as crucial for providing modern, safe, and affordable homes and maintaining community cohesion, while the Department's proposal would cause delays, reduce residents, and set a poor precedent.