A report on current progress with the Greenway from Malahide to Donabate, given at this month’s Area Committee meeting.

My response to the Department of Housing’s consultation on draft Development Plan Guidelines asks the Department not to try to prevent local authorities using the planning system to drive the decarbonisation process.

It refers to this article on Fingal’s successful energy standards innovation at a local level, where Fingal led Ireland to higher building energy standards.

The five Green Councillors on Fingal County Council coordinated the drafting of motions so as not to duplicate too much. A more or less complete set of our motions is here. Consideration of the pre-draft report and motions will start on 30th August.

We are at the start of the process for adopting the Fingal Development Plan 2023-2029. There was a public consultation this Spring in advance of the Draft. In a series of meetings starting on 30th August, the Council will consider the responses to that consultation. Motions from Councillors to give direction for the drafting of the Development Plan will be discussed. I have submitted the following motions based on the responses from the public and my own submission:

https://davidhealy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/observation-on-abp-310418-stapolin-baldoyle-shd-8i21.pdf

https://davidhealy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/observation-on-abp-310413-deer-park-kenelm-shd-8i21.pdf

Fingal Greens today welcomed a partnership between Fingal County Council and a private developer which will exclude cuckoo funds and contain substantial affordable, social and cost rental housing.

The Fingal Green Party welcome the strengthening of the deal in recent days with commitments to exclude investment funds from purchasing both housing and apartments on the site and to offer at least 50% of the apartments for cost-rental.

Fingal County Council is starting its Development Plan process. My submission A Development Plan for a Sustainable Fingal doesn’t try to address the full breadth of the Plan, but focusses on a few issues which need attention:

• Quantitative assessment of climate impact
• Coastal monitoring and protection of sand dunes which are natural coastal protection
• Duty of active dissemination of environmental information
• Access to the Coast, Protection and Improvement of Coastal Amenities and Biodiversity, Blue Flags
• Baldoyle and Kilbarrack Industrial Estates
• Public Rights of Way
• Active Travel, particularly to school
• Demand Management
• Sustainable Urban Drainage
• Sewage overflows and misconnections
• Asssessment of transport infrastructure options including for the South Fringe/North Fringe area

The submissions from the public at this stage of the will inform the writing of the Draft Plan, which will go to public display in February 2022.

I have made an observation to An Bord Pleanála in relation to the Auburn Strategic Housing Development proposal. It focusses on the protection of trees, permeability for walking and cycling, and building heights.

Fingal County Council is proposing to partner with a developer to build over 1000 houses/apartments at Ballymastone in Donabate. The Green councillors are recommending that the partnership agreement be amended to provide for a significant proportion of cost rental housing and a ban on the sale of housing from the development to Real Estate Investment Trusts. Our letter.