Sunday Property Round-Up, December 8th 2019

Irish property market news and insights – by the industry, for the industry

 

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 Before we get stuck into the general property news of the week, below are a few local and international stories that might be of particular interest: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bisnow Dublin event 2019

 

 

 

If you missed last week’s round-up, you can catch up here: https://propertydistrict.ie/category/sunday-property-review/

 

 

 

As always, you might let me know if I have missed out on any relevant property news by emailing  carol@caroltallon.com.

 

 

(Apologies in advance for any typos, it’s difficult to get good help on a Sunday. Also, I use voice to text dictation so just sound out anything that really doesn’t make sense in a strong rural accent and that should help!)

 

 

SUNDAY LISTEN

 

 

Property Matters: Ireland’s First Weekly Property Radio Show (& Podcast!):

Ireland’s first weekly property radio show, Property Matters, launched In January 2019 on Dublin South FM 93.9 and is now available internationally via iTunes and Spotify podcast (www.iPropertyRadio.com). Seasoned political broadcaster, Bryan Fox, and I (Carol Tallon) team up to deliver 60 minutes of industry chat with guests from the areas of planning, construction, property and proptech. Produced by Katie Tallon of Hear Me Roar Media.

 

l-r: Bryan Fox, Carol Tallon, Tommy Drumm of Collen Construction

 

Tommy Drumm, Managing Director of Collen joins us in studio to talk about the first 200 years of the company, recent awards won, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths) programme in schools, ongoing projects in Blackrock and Sandyford,  extending into Europe and future plans for the company.

 

Listen back here: https://anchor.fm/ipropertyradio/episodes/Property-Matter-with-Collen-Construction–December-3rd-2019-e9b7os

 

 

*Listen back to all #PropertyMatters episodes here: https://anchor.fm/ipropertyradio

 

Email the Property Matters team at hello@iPropertyRadio.com

 

 

PLACEMAKING

PUBLIC CONSULTATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

 

 

 

And the opposite side of this argument:

 

  •  ‘Legal challenges taken against planning decisions reach a new high this year: Infrastructure and housing being delayed by cases, says government’. This is a huge problem and one that the PLACEengage.com team has been talking directly to property developers about – developers, please take 2 minutes to answer these 5 questions:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KRTSYGY 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Cliff Taylor: Time to shout WTF on Dublin’s white-water rafting project https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/cliff-taylor-time-to-shout-wtf-on-dublin-s-white-water-rafting-project-1.4107083?mode=amp Also, the Business Post gives this front page coverage: Keegan’s love of kayaking ‘not relevant’ to whitewater rafting proposal, says DCC – “Dublin City Council chief Owen Keegan has said his personal interest in canoeing has no bearing on the local authority‘s pursuit of a €23 million whitewater rafting facility in George’s Dock.” https://www.businesspost.ie/construction/keegans-love-of-kayaking-not-relevant-to-whitewater-rafting-proposal-says-dcc-178ce948 

 

 

 

  • Another new bridge across the River Liffey is scheduled to be in place by 2023:
    The Blood Stoney Bridge is planned as a facility for pedestrians and cyclists that would link Sir John Rogerson Quay to New Wapping Street on the North Quay Wall
    https://www.rte.ie/news/dublin/2019/1204/1097073-dublin/

 

 

 

 

 

 

*PLACEengage: The future of speedy, successful placemaking for property developers is here – Property developers and project owners ready Public Consultation are encouraged to contact the PLACEengage team for full details*

 

 

 

 

CONSTRUCTION & DEVELOPMENT NEWS

 

  • In the Sunday Independent today: Builders fear housing supply will dry up as new builds remain unsold:

    “Representatives of some of the country’s most active housebuilders met for a regular catch-up to discuss industry issues earlier in the week and, according to people with knowledge of the meeting, they nearly all had one observation in common: a distinct slowdown in the length of time it is taking to sell the average family home around the country.

    Many of the housebuilders present complained that the queues of buyers at new housing estates have disappeared and that newly-built units are still sitting idle long after they would have expected them to sell.

    In a country in the midst of a housing crisis, where families are crying out to buy their own homes and where house prices may not be rising as fast as they were but are certainly still holding up well, that observation would seem to make little sense…”

    https://amp.independent.ie/business/irish/builders-fear-housing-supply-will-dry-up-as-new-builds-remain-unsold-38762546.html

 

 

 

  • In the Business Post: Greystar calls for revision of apartment bed ratios  – ‘Renter demand is for studios and one-bed units’
    https://www.businesspost.ie/construction/greystar-calls-for-revision-of-apartment-bed-ratios-aa897fe6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Cavan County Council outlines plans to develop 15 new social housing units – Northern Sound https://www.northernsound.ie/cavan-county-council-outlines-plans-develop-15-new-social-housing-units/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PROPTECH, MMC & CONSTRUCTION INNOVATION

 

Geowox team

 

  • From smart design and planning right through to the smart property transaction, where does your Irish-led or Ireland-based proptech  or MMC business sit? Pease take five minutes to add or update your details to our internationally-shared listing here: SIGN UP HERE: *PROPTECH INNOVATORS and STARTUPS * 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Mace adopts Australian off-site methods https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/mace-adopts-australian-prefab-method

 

 

 

  • What’s driving the PropTech Market Growth? Prominent Players – Bowery, Buildium, Enertiv, Flip, Foyr, Huthunt, Opendoor, PeerStreet etc – The Chicago Sentinel https://www.ccsentinel.com/business/whats-driving-the-proptech-market-growth-prominent-players-bowery-buildium-enertiv-flip-foyr-huthunt-opendoor-peerstreet-etc/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  •   Proptech: Track, a Property Manager for Homeowners, has Raised Nearly £160,000 of its £250,000 Fundraising Target on Seedrs https://www.crowdfundinsider.com/2019/12/154847-proptech-track-a-property-manager-for-homeowners-has-raised-nearly-160000-of-its-250000-fundraising-target-on-seedrs/

 

 

OTHER PROPERTY NEWS

 

 

 

  • Also in the Independent, TD objects to housing on site owned by ex Taoiseach: “A Fine Gael TD has lodged a planning objection against plans for a major housing development on a site once owned by former Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave.

    Dublin South West TD Colm Brophy issued a letter to his constituents telling them he was “fully opposed” to the proposal to build 590 apartments.

    In the letter, Mr Brophy said he received calls and emails from local residents expressing “concern and horror” about the development which is situated beside the M50 exit in Knocklyon.”

    https://amp.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/td-objects-to-housing-on-site-owned-by-ex-taoiseach-38763537.html

 

 

 

 

  • French firm may supply green power to data hubs – Independent.ie
    ”Schneider Electric, one of the world’s biggest suppliers of power equipment and automation, may enter the Irish wind turbine market to supply the booming data centre sector with renewable energy, says the new head of the industrial giant’s Irish business.

    The company already sells energy-saving products and services to owners and operators of Irish data centres, and they have an appetite for green energy, Kelly Becker, Ireland president of Schneider Electric, says.”

    https://amp.independent.ie/business/irish/french-firm-may-supply-green-power-to-data-hubs-38762553.html

 

 

 

  • In The Sunday Times today: Seán FitzPatrick pleads poverty while planning dream home

    “Former Anglo chief tries to beg off €25,000 fine while plotting €400,000 construction in Wicklow – Seán FitzPatrick, the former Anglo Irish Bank chairman, would be put “at the pin of his collar” by a €25,000 fine levied by Chartered Accountants Ireland (CAI) for violating its professional standards, his solicitor said last week. But FitzPatrick, 71, and his wife Caitriona have grand designs for a new four-bedroom home in Co Wicklow.“

    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sean-fitzpatrick-pleads-poverty-while-planning-dream-home-pmn7znhff

 

 

  • The lead business story in The Irish Times reads: Investors sweat on unregulated German property scheme Dolphin Trust –

    “A property promoter that has borrowed more than €100m from 1,800 Irish investors to renovate apartments in Germany will miss an interest payment due this week, according to the Irish administrator of the unregulated investment.

    Dolphin Trust, renamed German Property Group (GPG) last April, promised annual returns of up to 15% to investors who loaned it a minimum of €15,000 each for three or five years to redevelop listed buildings into luxury apartments. The company has been beset by problems in the UK, however, where investors have complained for some time about delayed payments after their investments matured…”

    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/ireland/investors-sweat-on-unregulated-german-property-scheme-dolphin-trust-c3qb956pk

 

 

  • In the Business Post today: Property experts warn of stalling development – ‘Industry chiefs sound alarm on rent cap ‘contagion’ and ‘drip-fed’ policy changes’

    https://www.businesspost.ie/construction/property-experts-warn-of-stalling-development-92e72d38

 

 

  • In the property supplement of the Business Post, Donal Buckley reports on a ‘Near-record year for commercial sales – With strong employment and growth in both personal incomes and demographics in 2020, the sector looks to be well supported by economic factors’
    https://www.businesspost.ie/commercial/near-record-year-for-commercial-sales-3f8f474b

 

 

  • Also in the Business Post, Sherry FitzGerald’s Ivan Gaine writes that ‘Crisis in new housing sector needs joined-up thinking, not rhetoric – Ireland’s current and future populations need housing choice, and all solutions should be explored’
    https://www.businesspost.ie/property/crisis-in-new-housing-sector-needs-joined-up-thinking-not-rhetoric-6ac01066

 

 

  • Owen Reilly writes that: Docklands rents continue to soar – ‘Selling prices remained static in the prime Dublin location in 2019, but huge demand for rental accommodation means no let-up for tenants’
    https://www.businesspost.ie/property/docklands-rents-continue-to-soar-e1845a85

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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