Category Archives: Trains / Traenacha

Land Development Agency commits to prioritising Stapolin Square

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The Land Development Agency (LDA) which recently bought the unbuilt development land at Stapolin, much of which has had a planning permission since 2016 and which has been only partly constructed, has committed publicly to prioritising the completion and opening of the new access to Clongriffin railway station via the planned Stapolin Square.  The commitment was given in a letter to Fingal County Council, noted at today’s meeting.

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Observations on Kinsealy- Station Road Greenway

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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)

NTA proposals for improved access to Clongriffin station

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The NTA is tendering for a new lift system in the temporary access tower (stairs and lift) to Clongriffin from Baldoyle, giving access to the railway station and the no. 15 bus. The tender includes a maintenance contract for between 3 and 5 years. They will also install CCTV in the access tower. They are continuing to look at options to improve the environment of the tower itself including better passive surveillance and sightlines. See NTA’s summary of progress.

I am deeply disappointed by Fingal County Council’s decision to accept a planning compliance submission from Richmond Homes, the developer responsible for replacing the temporary access with a permanent plaza on the Baldoyle side of the station which defers completion of the station to a later phase of the development, contrary to the phasing established inthe planning application on their site.

Submission in relation to Dart+ Coastal North

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My observations to An Bord Pleanála can be summarised as follows:

  1. I strongly welcome the electrification of the railway to Drogheda.
  2. I am concerned by proposals for infrastructure changes at Howth Junction to facilitate the operation of an enforced transfer at that station for passengers to/from Bayside, Sutton and Howth. The European Investment Bank’s analysis unit, JASPERS, predicts a 50% reduction in passenger numbers due to the enforced transfer. In consequence, they recommended:
    “Further analysis and public consultations should be made on the ideal operating
    model for DART+CN, in particular whether or not to enforce transfer at Howth
    Junction for Howth route trains (with the overall operational consequences this
    implies).”
    The Minister for Transport has asked his Department to follow up with NTA and Iarnród Éireann in relation to the implementation of this recommendation. The only potential operating model which has been presented for the Howth Junction
    transfer infrastructure shows only disbenefits. In the absence of an operating model which shows benefits, this element of the project cannot constitute proper planning and sustainable development.
  3. Iarnród Éireann needs to improve walking and wheeling access to stations, especially where it would enable more direct routes for public transport interchange or to/from local destinations. Safe permanent access is needed at Clongriffin. Sutton Station is being addressed by Fingal County Council as part of the Sutton to Malahide scheme; these two projects need to be integrated and made complementary.
  4. The opportunity which Dart+ Coastal North presents to provide high quality additional bicycle parking to meet future needs should be taken.

Dart + Coastal North: Howth Junction transfer

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Minister Eamon Ryan has directed his Department to liaise with the National Transport Office and Iarnród Éireann to ensure that the recommendations from JASPERS (the European Investment Bank’s evaluation unit) for a review of the Howth Junction transfer proposal are implemented.

See this letter for details.

AIE request confirms that Iarnród Éireann hasn’t analysed the impact of a shuttle service from Howth Junction on local services

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I have received a response from Iarnród Éireann to an Access to Information on the Environment (AIE) request. The request sought the following:

  • Any analyses of potential operational patterns involving a shuttle service between Howth Junction and Howth, requiring passengers to change at Howth Junction to access Bayside, Sutton and Howth.
  • Any analyses of the time delays or reduced capacity of the network at Howth Junction caused by the current arrangement where northbound trains to Howth cross the southbound track from Malahide.
  • Any analyses of the time savings or increased capacity of the network should one or more Howthbound trains be replaced by a shuttle service.
  • A copy of the terms of reference for “studies which will examine the doubling of track capacity between Dublin’s Connolly and Malahide train stations, where DART and intercity traffic currently share the same tracks”, for which funding was awarded on 22nd June.
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Submission to Dart+ North Consultation

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My submission to Iarnród Éireann’s consultation on Dart+ North

It follows my previous observations.

Observation on Belcamp SHD application – need for light rail-based development

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A very large urban development application has been made on the Belcamp lands, in advance of the Local Area Plan which the zoning provides for. I have made an observation to An Bord Pleanála (version with appendices) focussing on the need to develop around high-quality public transport.

It has been clear to me for over 15 years that the large development area planned between Clonshaugh and Clongriffin, of which this Belcamp application forms part, should be served by an orbital light rail or metro connection to the Dart in the east and the Metro in the west, a link which will also be of wider benefit to the public transport network.

The only additional recent element is that NTA, in its proposals for revising the Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy, now recognises that there will be a need for a light rail service on the Malahide Road, so it’s proposing a further link in the network.

Response to public consultation on Kinsealy Local Area Plan

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The following is my response to the public consultation on the Kinsealy Local Area Plan:
Although much of the land at Kinsealy should not have been zoned for residential development, I welcome the opportunity to respond to the draft Local Area Plan.
My primary concern is in relation to providing for active travel modes within the LAP and to adjoining areas. The pre-draft consultation highlighted the importance of providing quality walking and cycling links from Kinsealy to neighbouring areas, in particular to Portmarnock railway station. The draft LAP shows a lot of positive intention in this regard but is very confusing when it comes to understanding exactly what is planned. At this stage in the process there should be clear proposals to respond to.

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South Fingal Transport Study

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A South Fingal Transport Study has been carried out for the Council. (This is in fulfilment of an objective in the County Development Plan which specified the Study would include public consultation; unfortunately the public consultation hasn’t happened.)

The Study contains strong recommendations about prioritising walking, cycling and public transport in the area, and will be discussed at a Planning and Strategic Infrastructure Policy Committee meeting on Monday 28th.