By Chris Ashmore
A multi-million euro house and apartment building boom in the Letterkenny area is set to really take off this year, with a stream of council backed projects expected to get underway.
Major advances have been made regarding plans for two major flagship multi-million euro projects in the town which will lead to the construction of more than 315 houses and apartments.
Works on 13.83 acre site in the Ballymacool area are due to get underway before the end of this year, with 100 new social housing homes expected to be completed by the end of 2026, the Donegal News can reveal.
Council officials have confirmed that a further 65 units could also follow on the site.
Meanwhile, 150 housing units in the High Road area of Letterkenny (near the Fire Station) are now at an advanced stage of planning.
This scheme will be developed in phases on an 8.23 acre site and like the Ballymacool development will contain a mix of family homes as well as homes for single people.
An update on the Ballymacool and High Road projects – which could cost up to €100 million to build – was given to councillors this week at a special meeting of Donegal Co. Council.
They were also informed that a public consultation process is underway in relation to the planned building of 16 houses and apartments in the Oldtown area of the town, while the demolition and rebuilding of a mica affected Nas Mor apartment block in Carnamuggagh is due to begin in the third quarter of this year.
Thirty more homes are also under construction at Oran Hill, Carnnamuggagh, and nine at Killylastin.
While news of the various projects was warmly welcomed by councillors at the meeting on Wednesday, several of them stressed that despite the developments, the county is still in the grips of a housing crisis.
Cathaoirleach of Letterkenny-Municipal District Council Cllr. Gerry McMonagle commented: “We are in a better place than we were two years ago, and a substantial amount of work has been done regarding the delivery of houses but we are still in a (housing) crisis and far from being out of it.”
Like Cllr. McMonagle, Cllr. Donal Coyle expressed concern about traffic issues in Letterkenny, and how the town will cope with further development and expansion, and he also raised concerns about the water infrastructure in the town.
Details of a number of other projects were also given.
Significantly, site works are continuing on 123 new “turnkey” units around the county.
In effect, a turnkey project is when a contractor is appointed to take complete responsibility for the design and execution of a project from beginning to end.
The properties are handed over to the council when they are fully complete and ready for occupation immediately.
Councillors were told that building work is continuing at Windyhall, Letterkenny (21 units); Donegal Road, Ballybofey (14); Drumrooske West, Donegal (35), Magheraclogher, Bunbeg (29 units), and Meadowfield, Convoy (24). Many of these homes will be completed this year.
In addition to this, plans have been advanced by the Council for the building of 20 houses and apartments at Ard Na Glaise, Kilmacrennan, 12 apartments at Rossgarrow in Milford, 40 homes in Newtowncunningham, 21 units at Barrack Hill in Carndonagh, ten in Gleneely and nine in Malin.
In addition to the social housing projects, a number of privately funded housing estates and individual homes are also at various stages of planning and delivery in the Letterkenny area.
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