Dublin City Council is to push forward in January with plans for the redevelopment of the largest industrial land bank in the city since the regeneration of Dublin’s docklands.

The initiative will see the construction of thousands of homes linked by improved rail and Luas lines, according to The Irish Times.

The Ballyboggan local area plan will create the master plan for the regeneration of 75 hectares of vacant or underused industrial lands located around 3 kilometres from the city centre. Meetings between the council and major landowners and stakeholders in the Dublin Industrial Estate in Glasnevin have been scheduled.

It aims to be a boost to Ireland’s efforts to increase housing and apartment development amid a housing crisis that is especially evident in Dublin.

Several landowners have already said that they will relocate, clearing the way for the sites to be rezoned for high-density homes. However, residents have raised concerns, with submissions to the initial consultation opposing high-rise developments across the estate.

While the focus will be on the residential elements of the project, the council said in its proposals that it wants to retain employment uses, with new job growth within the zone to foster a 15-minute-style community.

“Employment provision will be a cornerstone of the LAP proposals and will be essential to deliver on the 15-minute city concept,” the council said in outlining its plans. “As part of the development of a mixed-use development framework, the proposed draft LAP will seek to provide the opportunity for existing businesses to remain in the area and/or to relocate or cluster within the LAP lands where appropriate.”

A number of sites in the estate have already been acquired by residential development companies such as Bartra and Blacklion Real Estate Fund, although previous applications for large-scale residential schemes have been refused, as the land is not yet zoned for residential development.

First announcing the proposals in April 2023, the council said the Ballyboggan LAP, named after the road that runs along the Tolka Valley Park, would “enable the compact and sustainable mixed-use regeneration and redevelopment of the area.”

The council has said that any development framework would meet the wider city development plan in terms of height and density and said that further public consultation would be sought following more detailed proposals.