THE LAND DEVELOPMENT Agency (LDA) has expressed interest in purchasing privately owned land, with existing planning permission, to increase the output of affordable homes.

The expression of interest follows the LDA’s land acquisition programme, which will support its objective of increasing the annual output.

While the LDA is aiming to ramp up the availability of affordable housing nationally, it has placed its initial focus on large-scale sites in five of the State’s most populated cities, Dublin, Limerick, Galway, Cork and Waterford.

The agency was set up at first to deliver affordable housing on State-owned land but subsequently been tasked with running a government initiative where it allow the purchase of stalled or unviable housing projects.

The LDA, in partnership with developers, can then make the homes available through affordable purchase or cost rental schemes.

CEO of the LDA John Coleman said the agency wants to “maximise every opportunity to deliver affordable housing”. 

Coleman added he hopes the agency can “grow and maintain a steady pipeline” of supply through the purchasing of private land.

In a statement today, the agency said it is particularly seeking large-scale sites with existing planning permission for over 200 homes.

“The agency will assess the sites referred to it according to criteria such as transport links, development viability and building cost efficiencies. Sites close to or near existing State-owned lands will be of particular interest,” the statement added.

Coleman said: “We believe it is possible to acquire sites in the country’s main cities at costs that allow for the development of affordable housing, particularly in cases where we can deploy the LDA’s expertise and experience at scale on projects that will deliver the right housing in the right place.”