Shock at proposal to build 120 homes behind Kildare's Whitewater Shopping Centre

A 1.2-hectare site located between Whitewater Shopping Centre and Newbridge Silverware in Newbridge is being proposed for potential redevelopment by the Land Development Agency (LDA).

The LDA is a commercial, State-sponsored body that has been created to coordinate land within public control to provide affordable and social homes across Ireland.

Cllr Chris Pender has called for the site to be strongly considered for community, recreational and sporting infrastructure.

According to the LDA, the Newbridge site - currently used by Kildare Co Council as a Machinery Yard - has a potential yield of 90–120 homes which would cost up to €38m to develop fully.

The LDA believes the site could significantly contribute to addressing regional housing needs, despite not being currently included in the formal Housing Strategy.

The area is zoned as “A - Town Centre,” which deems it suitable for high-density residential or mixed-use development.

Estimated development costs range from €22 million to €30.5 million, with additional infrastructure and other costs potentially bringing the total to between €28.6 million and €38 million.

The existing local authority depot would need to be relocated for the project to proceed.

Kildare town 

Meanwhile another site in Co Kildare has also been identified for potential housing by the LDA.

The 10.3-hectare site on Hospital Street, Kildare Town, between the Primary Care Centre and the M7, could deliver 170–240 homes, according to the state agency. 

Owned by the HSE and Kildare County Council, the land requires rezoning and re-allocation of public use to proceed.

Estimated costs of developing the site range from €76 million to €92 million.

The development would allow for future HSE expansion while addressing regional housing demand.

As the Government's push for more homes to be built continues, Housing Minister James Browne has already instructed local authorities to revisit their development plans to rezone significantly more land for homes.

Overall, the LDA identified 102 publicly owned sites nationwide that could deliver between 11,000 and 71,000 homes.

The LDA is required to submit a report every two years on public land that potentially suitable for housing in towns with a population of over 10,000.

READ MORE: Major extension planned for Kildare hotel.