Councillors approve Council’s €784m Capital Programme
Councillors have approved Fingal County Council’s €784m three-year Capital Programme which provides for significant investment on projects across the County during period from 2022 to 2024.
It represents a €17m increase on the previous Capital Plan with the 2022-2024 programme identifying 237 individual projects with an estimated spend of €783.73m over the three years.
The Programme projects a capital spend in 2022 of €237m, followed by €265m in 2023 and a further €282m in 2023.
Just over half of the €784m has been allocated to Housing with the €393m budget underpinning the Council’s commitment to delivering a significant housing programme under the Government’s new housing plan, Housing For All.
The Council’s objective is to maximise the supply and availability of suitable accommodation for households unable to provide accommodation from their own resources and to provide good quality housing to purchase or rent at an affordable price. The Council expects to construct 239 homes in 2021 and 2022 while continuing to progress plans for the development of landbanks at Church Fields in Dublin 15, Ballymastone in Donabate and Hayestown in Rush.
A total of €20m has been set aside for Community and Sports programmes with planning permission for the provision of new Community Centres in Meakstown and Baldoyle due be sought in the coming months.
Almost 20% of Capital Plan expenditure is earmarked for Planning and Strategic Infrastructure projects with the Church Fields Link Road and Cycle Scheme due to go to construction soon while the Donabate Pedestrian Bridge, which will be constructed over the main Dublin-Belfast rail line, is due to commence construction next year. A sum of €12m has been set aside for the development of a new Regional Park at the former Baldoyle Racecourse, which will be co-funded by the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF), while €2.2m has been allocated for the Porterstown Park Recreational Hub.
Projects by the Economic, Enterprise Tourism and Cultural Development Department will account for 15% of expenditure with €23.1m being set aside for the Civic and Cultural Centre element of the Swords Cultural Quarter project which is due to go to planning in 2022. Works on the Carnegie Library in Swords is expected to begin in early 2022 following public consultation with €1.2m allocated to this project.
A total provision of €23.5m has been made for a number of projects under the Our Balbriggan Rejuvenation Scheme with extensive works planned to commence during the three-year lifespan of the new Capital Programme.
A further €58m has been allocated to Environment Climate Action and Active Travel projects which will include Protected Cycle Lanes, Road Safety and Active Travel Mobility.
Chief Executive AnnMarie Farrelly said: “Despite the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic we continued to progress many of our capital projects during lockdown and now, as the restrictions ease, we are ready to move forward at pace towards completing as many as possible over the next three years.”
Oliver Hunt, Fingal County Council’s Head of Finance said: “Two-third of the funding for the Capital Programme will come from grants with the rest being sourced from levies, revenue provision and other income streams. Every effort will be made to maximise funding, particularly grant funding, from Central Government, in order to deliver on projects.”
Among the major projects completed by Fingal County Council in 2021 were The Village Green in Malahide, The Shackleton Garden in Clonsilla, The Park Road Upgrade in Rush and the County Archives in Swords as well as the provision of public toilets in Millennium Park , Newbridge Demesne, Ardgillan Desmesne and Santry Demesne.
Other projects such as the Swords Cultural Quarter; Hole in the Wall Road; Snugborough Road Interchange; Naul Village Park; Broadmeadow Greenway; Lanesborough Park; Skerries Library; River Valley All-Weather Pitch in Swords; Castleknock Playground; Royal Canal Greenway; Fingal Coastal Way; Ballymastone Recreational Hub; Dun Emer Affordable Housing Scheme, Lusk; Harry Reynolds Road Cycleway in Balbriggan; Damastown-Clonsilla Cycle Route; Skerries Playground; Rathmore Play Trail Lusk; Rush Multi-Purpose Youth Facility and LED Public Lighting all made significant progress during the year as did many of the projects associated with the Our Balbriggan Rejuvenation Project.
The presentation of the 2022-2024 Capital Programme to councillors can be viewed at www.fingal.ie/council-meetings
A copy of the 2022-2024 Capital Programme can be viewed at https://www.fingal.ie/council/service/capital-programme
The Capital Plan is a rolling programme which is revised annually as time and other constraints may vary the progress of projects within a given period. The decision of councillors to agree the Capital Plan 2022-2024 does not confer approval on any individual project. This can only be done through the normal statutory processes and compliance with the Public Spending Code. Funding arrangements also need to be clearly identified and secured in advance of committing to any project.