The completion of the physical regeneration of Fatima Mansions at the end of 2009 represents an extraordinary achievement. It marks an important stage in the transformation of a once blighted community into a symbol of renewal and hope.
The regeneration of Fatima Mansions has been ground- breaking in three significant respects:
It is the first local authority urban regeneration programme which has involved the full demolition of a local authority flats complex and its replacement with a mixed tenure housing scheme, together with community, retail, enterprise and leisure facilities;
It is the first urban renewal scheme to be financed through the mechanism of a Public Private Partnership, whereby the major costs of the development are borne by the developer and not the state in return for granting partial title to the land; and, critically,
It is the first regeneration project where equal emphasis has been placed on social as well as physical regeneration. A dividend of €6 million arising from the Public Private Partnership has been made available for the implementation of a comprehensive range of social programmes and initiatives over the last five years in tandem with the physical regeneration process.
These are contained in the Social Regeneration Plan – 8 Great Expectations, which can be downloaded by chapter:
