Monthly Archives: November 2024

Land Development Agency consultation on Kinsealy

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The Land Development Agency has drawn up proposals for housing on the land formerly used by Teagasc at Kinsealy. This will include a drop-in session on Tuesday 26th from 4pm to 8pm at St. Nicholas of Myra National School. Further information is on their website.

Central issues to be addressed include

  • access from the housing areas to both local schools, including temporary access as the development is planned to go ahead in phases;
  • the long-overdue greenway link from Kinsealy to Portmarnock station (which should have gone to planning in 2021) as well as the other greenway links (to Kettles Lane and Balgriffin)

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.

Land Development Agency proposals for Kinsealy are on public display; safe access to schools is a key issue.

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The Land Development Agency is seeking feedback on proposals for housing in Kinsealy on part of the former Teagasc lands.

My initial concern, which I have already fed back to the LDA, is that the project must provide safe access from the existing housing to the Educate Together National School and on to St. Nicholas of Myra National School. This needs to be in the final layout when the development is completed, and logically would be provided from the greenway proposed to be built in phase 1 of the LDA’s plans. But access must also be provided during the construction period, by providing a route through the land reserved for the second phase while the first phase is under construction.

In general the proposal has a welcome emphasis on prioritising walking and cycling. However, development of this land also is reliant on the greenway to Portmarnock station which should have gone to planning in 2021.

Additional issues include

  • the fact that some of the housing is proposed for land identified in the LAP for a school and pitches, amenities the rapidly growing community will require, and
  • the absence of cost rental housing from the development.

Although I immediately raised the safe school access issue with the LDA, and passed on some relevant contact details and background information, I will make a more detailed submission after the election.

Fingal to consider variation of Development Plan to ensure apartment sales to the public

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Fingal Councillors agreed unanimously on Monday to my motion to initiate the process to vary the Fingal Development plan to include a provision to require apartments to be sold to the public rather than to institutional for-profit landlords. I have previously written to the outgoing Minister for Housing asking him to consider a similar provision at a national level. That email sets out the reasons this important change needs to be made.

The next step in the process is a report from the Council executive within four weeks. At that stage, hopefully the Council will agree to put the proposed variation on public display. Given the motion received the support of all 34 Councillors present last Monday, I hope this change to our Development Plan will take effect soon.

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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.