Up to 1,000 social and affordable homes set for Leopardstown racecourse

Ellen O'Donoghue

Up to 1,000 social and affordable homes could be built at Leopardstown racecourse in south Dublin in a potential deal between two State agencies, according to The Irish Times.

The Government’s Housing For All policy earmarked land belonging to State body Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) at Leopardstown racecourse for new homes in 2021.

HRI and the Land Development Agency (LDA) are in talks about the transfer of part of the site so that it can be used to build social and affordable housing, The Irish Times reported on Tuesday.

“The LDA is currently in discussions with the HRI and the Government to secure the transfer of a section of the land, that if secured, would enable the development of around 1,000 homes,” a spokesman for the State land agency told the newspaper.

HRI has been in talks with the LDA for three years and is also working on a master plan for the future of Leopardstown Racecourse, which the body owns. However, the sides have not yet reached an agreement.

The potential housing site is on 49 acres given by the State to HRI’s predecessor, the Racing Board, to compensate it for the loss of part of its track when the nearby M50 motorway was built.

It was deemed vacant several years ago, but HRI contested this, saying that Leopardstown used it for various purposes.

The LDA’s spokesman confirmed that the agency was aware HRI had plans to develop part of the land.

Its database calculates that HRI’s Carrickmines site could hold 1,500 to 2,080 homes. However, these figures are estimates and are not intended to be definitive.

Leopardstown is the last remaining racecourse in Dublin.