Council needs to leave Greenbelt at Tyrrelstown alone

Yesterday I lodged the Dublin West Green Party submission on the Powerstown, Kilmartin, Tyrrelstown and Environs Study. I’ve called on Fingal County Council to halt any plans for future building in the Tyrrelstown area.

I was very surprised to see Fingal County Council propose a study of such a large greenfield area with a view to future residential and employment land use. The vast majority of the land included within the area for this study is agricultural land. It forms part of an essential greenbelt which leads all the way to the border with County Meath. I find it deeply disturbing that Fingal County Council is considering looking at this land with a view to development, even if it isn’t right away.

I would also point to the fact that there was no provision in the 2005 County Development Plan to undertake a survey of this area. I can’t understand why the Council’s planning department is making plans for large-scale building in one of the few remaining rural areas in Dublin 15, when it should be focusing on urban areas where planning measures are badly needed. For example, I don’t see why this study is being prioritised over the Blanchardstown Urban Centre Strategy, which is being suggested for this Autumn.

The new estates at Tyrrelstown continue to be hugely underserved in relation to schools, sports & recreational facilities and public transport. I think it is completely inappropriate for the Council to be considering more building on the greenbelt around Tyrrelstown, when it has so far failed to address many of the existing problems in the area. As such, I am proposing that the study should confine itself to addressing the needs of the existing residential areas in Tyrrelstown.

Let’s leave our greenbelt untouched for a bit longer.

Dublin West Green Party Submission on Tyrrelstown & Environs Study

O’Gorman welcomes decision to undertake movement study

28/03/08

Green Party Dublin 15 representative, Roderic O’Gorman has welcomed the decision by Fingal County Council to undertake a study of different modes of movement around the Dublin 15 area.

“I’m delighted to see that Fingal County Council has put out a tender to conduct a movement or permeability study for the Dublin 15 area. Such a study will look at the different routes people use to get around – whether it be by car, public transport, bicycle or foot – and determine how to best provide for these”.

“Up until recently, very little attention was given to the needs of people to move about their area, in planning decisions in Dublin 15. Nearly all building has been developer led with no overall integration in terms of pedestrian and cyclist connections, or indeed other services such as schools”.

“As a result of this pattern of development, cycling and walking have become very inconvenient and often residents have to take a very circuitous route to get anywhere on foot or by bicycle. Children no longer walk or cycle to school as their parents feel it is unsafe to do so on heavily trafficked roads. It seems the big property developers never even considered that people might actually wish to walk or cycle “, stated Roderic O’Gorman.

“The Dublin West Green Party have previously called for research into peoples movement needs in submissions on local planning matters such as the Clonsilla Urban Centre Strategy. As such, we are very pleased to see this issue now being addressed across the entire Dublin 15 area”.

“Not only will this study deal with movement and transport issues, but it will also consider the availability of services such as schools, playgrounds, playing pitches and health centres. Such a move is long overdue and will provide planners, politicians and community activists with vital information to ensure that the next County Development Plan is based on truly sustainable principles”, concluded Roderic O’Gorman.

Ends

Further Information
Roderic O’Gorman: 087 417 9777