A total of 350 social homes are in the pipeline for Letterkenny

Council officials provided an update on two major social housing projects in Letterkenny at a meeting of Donegal County Council in Lifford.

The projects will see 170 homes constructed at Ballymacool and a further 175 homes on the High Road in the town.
The Department of Housing has given ‘stage 1’ approval for the Ballymacool project, which carries a preliminary budget tag of €49.3 million.

The master-plan for the Ballymacool site, which is being finalised by Vincent Hannon Architects, will be presented to councillors in the Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District in early March.

The sloping site will be split into three distinct neighbourhoods which will be constructed in phases. Footpaths and pedestrian routes will be created through to link the neighbourhoods and to provide easy access to the adjacent public park.
Crucially, Uisce Éireann has confirmed the feasibility of the 170 home project, subject to connection upgrades which will be determined later.

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The High Road development is not as far advanced as that at Ballymacool. However, an architect led design team is due to be appointed in March and the council envisages 175 homes will be built there.

Uisce Éireann has confirmed the feasibility of providing water and wastewater services at the town centre site, but will need to upgrade the infrastructure in the vicinity.

The council also provided updates on the projects being undertaken by its in-house design team to provide almost 130 new homes across the county. These smaller projects will see 16 homes built at Oldtown in Letterkenny, 20 homes at Ard na Glaise in Kilmacrennan and 40 homes at Ballyhaskey in Newtowncunningham. Planning applications have already been submitted for these developments, and for 12 apartments at Rossgarrow in Milford.

Details for projects to construct 16 homes at Old Fintra Road in Killybegs, 15 homes at Fintown and 12 homes at Derrybeg were also outlined, with officials saying that Part 8 planning applications are close to being finalised.
A further 130 turnkey homes constructed by private builders have either been acquired or are in the process of being handed over to the council this year and next.

These include 24 homes in Convoy, 35 in Drumrooske, Donegal Town, 29 at Magheraclogher in Gaoth Dobhair, 21 at Windyhall in Letterkenny, 14 in Ballybofey and seven in Annagry. Overall, the council plans to take delivery of 307 turnkey homes from private builders in the period 2022-2026, for an overall price tag of €84 million.