I have made the following submission to this public consultation which is open until Sunday 12th January.

1. Kinsealy (Newpark) to Drumnigh Road (including traffic lights at the Drumnigh Road/Station Road junction)

The need for this link has been evident for many years and I have been pushing for it since 2016. It was finally agreed in adopting the Kinsealy Local Area Plan in 2019 that the planning application for this element would be made in 2021. Unfortunately that timescale hasn’t been kept. It is vital that this element be progressed as rapidly as possible. Given the short length of greenway involved, it is possible to advance this the Council’s executive powers, although I would not disagree with the use of Part 8 of the Planning Act.

What I absolutely urge is that this is progressed as soon as possible. I note the support of one of the landowners for this area, and haven’t been able to find any submission opposing this element. Furthermore I think that the design is well worked out and can be implemented rapidly.

I note that the landowner points out that the route matches the proposed treated effluent pipeline route; this is probably simultaneously an opportunity and a challenge. However, it should not be a cause of delay; an interim greenway can be provided if necessary in advance of the final layout.

2. Station Road

Major changes to the western section of Station Road to make it safe for walking and cycling are essential. I think the design needs some further consideration.

In March 2017, seeing housing applications including elements of active travel infrastructure on Station Road, I asked for a report on the intended final design of the road, with particular emphasis on people walking and cycling, and on the connection to the Baldoyle/Portmarnock Greenway.  It was reached at our April Area Committee meeting and following some discussion, also listed as a headed item in June 2017.

April 2017 https://meetings.fingal.ie/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=140&MId=4799&Ver=4

June 2017 https://meetings.fingal.ie/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=140&MId=4814&Ver=4

It was particularly important to raise this because previous housing developments on the north side of Station Road had included fragmented bits of cycle lane in a confusing manner, without proper access or egress. In the discussion it became clear that the planning applications coming in for the Portmarnock South Lands included piecemeal additions to Station Road while there existed neither an outline design nor specific design objectives to compare them against. (The Portmarnock South Local Area Plan is generally supportive, indicating this is an important walking and cycling link, but not detailed.)

I would say however, that what has been provided along the south side of the the eastern section of Station Road is good, needing only some revision at the junctions to emphasise active travel priority over turning movements, in line with the Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets and the National Cycle Manual. What we have in essence is a shared space (which from a legal point of view doesn’t have the necessary signage to designate it as such) which is used for walking and cycling in two directions. (In my own case, cycling east on Station Road to get to the Greenway, if I’m coming from the station I use the shared space all of the way from the station to reach the Greenway; if I’m coming from Old Portmarnock, I typically turn right to get onto the shared space at the junction of Station Road and the Avenue. I would mention though that I don’t know what it’s like at the busiest times of day.)

In the intervening years since the discussion in 2017m the Council has done work on the eastbound only cycle track on the north side of the Road which has clarified its use significantly.

We have also had considerable controversy as regards the junctions at both ends of Station Road, including non-compliance with planning conditions requiring the upgrade of the junctions. See https://davidhealy.com/?p=1389for details. This application, including signalisation of the junction is addressing an element which should have been addressed to comply with those planning permissions. (There appears to be a systematic problem within the Council when it comes to enforcing the provision of vital active travel infrastructure required by planning conditions.)

This proposal is for a two-way cycle track along the north side of the road as far as the train station. It’s not clear why the north side of the road has been selected. Some narrative discussion of the design choices would really help those responding to this consultation.

It seems logical that if a two-way cycletrack is being provided on one side of the carriageway, it should be on the south side as this will give a better connection to/from both the train station and the greenway. The design of the shared space section on the eastern end of Station Road may need some minor adjustments. A two-way cycletrack would also shift the impact of the land acquisition to where the impacts on local residents would be less, and would have minor impacts on the development currently under construction (F21A/0378).

Putting the route to the south of the existing carriageway would also make it much easier to address the movement conflicts in the area around the train station and the bridge. At busy times, there are lots of pedestrians coming to or from the station and the proposed elements of shared space on narrow footpaths in the design will not work. The opportunity should be taken for a nice generous overbridge making room for people walking and cycling.

3. Kinsealy village

The layout at the Malahide Road/Chapel Road junction needs attention. I don’t think it’s to the benefit of any road users to provide shared space on the narrow footpath at Kinsealy Cottages. The design needs to consider cyclists accessing and leaving the shared space on Chapel Road when travelling in both directions on the Malahide Road.

4 Further active travel links

Submissions rightly raise the challenges of Kinsealy Lane and the section of Drumnigh Road south of Station Road. It is important to address these and keep them on the agenda.

I understand that a consultant’s report on Kinsealy Lane is due early this year.

A planning application for a pedestrian link between Drumnigh Woods and the new development on Station Road to the southwest of the railway bridge (at the location of F24A/0372) is hopefully imminent and should be granted to make this essential link.

The reopening of the bridge over the railway at Drumnigh Road seems to be straightforward in engineering terms. I hope it will be progressed rapidly. (Report to December 2025 Area Committee: https://meetings.fingal.ie/documents/s108672/Item%20No.%2010%20-%20Report%20on%20Opening%20of%20Railway%20Overbridge%20-%20Drumnigh%20Manor.pdf)

I sent a copy of my planning observation focussing on the route for the cable to Transport Infrastructure Ireland and to Uisce Éireann.

The planning application by NISA involves routing the cable from the wind array to Belcamp substation along local roads, which is anticipated to cause serious disruption to road users, including to buses and local access in local communities.

My view, as expressed to the Board, is that if this is necessary then so be it, as decarbonising the economy is an overwhelming imperative.

However, it doesn’t seem necessary to me. The application said that TII was refusing to allow the use of the motorway alignment and that running it south along the coast and in from Portmarnock wasn’t feasible.

I have received markedly different responses from these two state bodies. The reply from Uisce Éireann demonstrates a ‘can’t do’ attitude. The reply from TII is far more positive, recognising the imperative to transition to renewable energy and showing a commitment to collaboration and cooperation to facilitate energy infrastructure.

Tá mo bhileog um thoghchán as Gaeilge anseo.

The English language version of my election leaflet is here.