Roscommon businessman to build over 2,500 homes in London

A company headed by prominent Roscommon businessman Sean Mulryan has been given the go ahead to construct over 2,500 houses in London.

Property firm Ballymore, which was founded by the Oran native with his wife Bernardine Mulryan in 1982, along with Sainsbury’s have received consent for plans for a major new canal-side neighbourhood in Ladbroke Grove.

‘Kensal Canalside’ has been designed to deliver 2,519 new homes, of which at least 500 will be affordable, plus two parks and a local high street with new offices, shops, cafes and restaurants – with a reinstated, historic canal basin at its heart. Plans also include a new flagship 60,000 sq ft Sainsbury’s supermarket with car parking underground.

The proposed neighbourhood will deliver the new homes on a 19-acre brownfield site in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea – a large proportion of which has been closed off to the public for over 40 years as a former gasworks.

The development will create a minimum of 2,000 permanent long-term jobs and provide a significant boost to the local economy, amounting to approximately £37 million annually. The 11-year construction programme is estimated to start in 2026.

Mr Mulryan, who is the group managing director for Ballymore, said: “Kensal Canalside will bring thousands of jobs, a new high street, leisure spaces - all of which will be game changing not just for the people who’ll move here, but for thousands of residents in the wider community.

“Kensal Canalside demonstrates the partnership approach we are taking to deliver large numbers of high-quality homes across the capital – in this case with Sainsburys. The collapse in housing starts in London is a serious threat to our city and the wider country. With our partners and local councils we have a responsibility to build increasing numbers of new homes, and we know that large, under-used brownfield sites like this can make a significant contribution to delivery. We’re hugely grateful to all our partners on this project, and to RBKC, for getting us to this point – there are many more milestones ahead.” 

Mr Mulryan was presented with the Freedom of the City of London in September and in the sane month officially open the developed pitch at Oran GAA grounds.

For the last twenty five years, he has made significant contributions to Roscommon GAA and to many charities,including the Mayo/Roscommon Hospice Foundation.