Movement on a long-delayed regeneration project in Dolphin’s Barn means residents could finally leave damp, mouldy, and rundown accommodation.

The proposed redevelopment of Dolphin’s House

After decades of delays, residents in “crumbling accommodation” at Dolphin House may have reason to hope again, as long-promised new homes could finally become a reality.

With Dublin City Council in partnership with the Land Development Agency (LDA) now developing Phase 2 and 3 of the long-delayed regeneration plan, projects promised since the 2000s are now moving forward in Dolphin’s Barn, Dublin 8. The first phase was completed in 2018, where 100 social housing units benefited around a quarter of the residents.

However, years of delays meant that those hoping to be rehoused from damp, mouldy, and rundown properties have been left waiting. Project coordinator Manus Bree told Dublin Live the community is “cautious” considering there have already been “many false dawns” in relation to this project. Over 600 new homes are planned as part of the regeneration.

“There’s a challenge to try and get people to continue buying into the regeneration process, especially due to delays and hiatus of the delivery programme,” Mr Bree said. “But I think as soon as real milestones are being met, whether it’s planning applications being submitted, contractors being identified, cranes going up, that’s when you get a bit of excitement that things are actually moving after such a long wait.”

While the original masterplan was to bring the old houses, built in the 1950s, up to modern standards, it later became clear that this was a much bigger project as homes would have to be demolished and rebuilt. This meant numerous requirements, such as an environmental impact assessment, delayed the project further years.

Dolphin House Estate(Image: Dublin City Council)

In the meantime, several families from the Dolphin House Estate actually moved out of their substandard living conditions, although they will have a right to return and will be prioritised when the houses are ready. “Teenagers have moved into adulthood before the new homes were built. So, that gives you the sense of how long it’s taken,” Mr Bree said.

It’s even more difficult for the families who have remained waiting in Dolphin House, as Mr Bree explained they’ve been left in a state of “limbo” unsure whether to further invest in fixing up a rundown home they might not be in for much longer. He said the effect on the community has been noticeable.

“Families have moved out and that’s been emptying the blocks. There’s a loss of members that really breaks up the community,” he said. “There’s a lot of social networks and families that have been there for generations, so it’s difficult for people to take.”

Chair of the Dolphin House Regeneration Board Fergus Finlay explained that discussion around this regeneration began before the economic crash of 2008, and that this represented the first major delay. “It took an awfully long time to get it back on the agenda after the economic collapse. All the private developers involved walked away and you couldn’t really blame them for that because they were all going under,” Mr Finlay said.

Following further delays exacerbated by Covid, Mr Finlay said they now have a design they are happy with and the “quality is high.” He stressed that ensuring existing residents and those originally from the community “get first priority” is vital to the regeneration’s aims.

“They’ve been living in accommodation, which when I started there was 50 years old. It’s now 70 years old. It’s crumbling accommodation. The conditions in which they live are really, really poor, and regeneration needs to be for them first.”

Mr Finlay said the core belief of the Regeneration Board is not to just build houses, but also build community. “If you build bricks and mortar in a community that has struggled with disadvantage all its life, and you throw that community in there, that bricks and mortar will start to deteriorate from day one,” he said.

That’s why this regeneration project will also focus on ensuring community facilities of the “highest standard” are also available for the residents of Dolphin House. ”We have to give children the best possible chance to grow up in a decent place. We have to ensure that crime and antisocial behaviour is cut out,” he said.

The Dolphin House project is planned in three main phases. Phase 1, which is ongoing, comprises 1a, 1b and 1c (social housing). Phase 2 will involve social housing and Phase 3 will involve affordable housing.

The timelines for Phase 1 are:

Phase 1a was completed by DCC in 2018,Phase 1b is scheduled to commence on-site in 2027 andPhase 1C is targeted to commence on site in 2028, which will continue the Council’s new home delivery across the estate.

This content is funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme

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