Home | Dublin | Reflecting City

M50 Lands LAP

The other main location for economic development, identified in the Masterplan, was the M50 lands comprising approximately 40 hectares of underdeveloped land adjacent to the M50. Although located within the Fingal County Council area, this land was retained in City Council ownership as Ballymun’s natural hinterland. Following the alteration to the Retail Planning Guidelines which facilitated the location of a major retail outlet (over 6,000m2) in the State, a Local Area Plan, (accompanied by a Strategic Environmental Assessment) was drawn up and adopted by Fingal County Council.

This Local Area Plan has, as its primary objective, “To contribute to the social, economic and environmental regeneration of Ballymun by setting the framework for a sustainable and dynamic mixed use, employment-generating area in a high quality and attractive urban environment”.

It also made provision for a planning application by IKEA for its first store in the State. Planning permission was granted by An Bord Pleanála in June 2007 and work is now proceeding to deliver the infrastructure to secure its opening and its 500 jobs in 2009. IKEA is by no means the only development which will be accommodated on the lands and work is also advancing to finalise a Masterplan within the Local Area Plan framework to secure the development of a dynamic urban quarter which will bring added benefits to the Ballymun area in the form of not only jobs but destinations, services and quality residential development. Infrastructural developments including Metro North will determine the phasing of the development of these lands which will take place over the next 5 –15 years. Their significance in relation to Ballymun must, however, remain central to their development.