Tá mo bhileog um thoghchán as Gaeilge anseo.
The English language version of my election leaflet is here.
Bileog um Thoghchán / Election Leaflet
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Enforcement action in relation to Clongriffin Station
Finally, Fingal’s planning enforcement section have issued a warning letter in relation to non-compliance with the conditions of planning permission in Baldoyle. I have put the exchange of emails relevant to this letter below.
Continue readingApartments not for sale?
There’s a lot of concern at the development of apartments which, like those at Santa Sabina, will only be rented and won’t be on sale. This is in spite of a clear demand to buy an apartment in their local area from residents who would like to move out of a larger house.
I have submitted the following motion to initiate the process for an amendment to the County Development Plan, which, if I’m re-elected, will be taken at our July meeting:
Continue readingGreen Councillors’ observations on DAA’s application for airport infrastructure and to lift the passenger cap
The Green Councillors on Fingal made observations on DAA’s planning application. The main themes are
- The application follows unauthorised development in removing contaminated soil and therefore has to include a retention application to be valid;
- The application is inconsistent with the 1.5° target in the Paris Agreement;
- Forecasts of passenger growth do not take account of climate action;
- Noise impacts, especially at night;
- Surface water at the airport should be managed to avoid downstream flooding;
- Cycling infrastructure should be designed to maximise the quality of access to and past the airport;
- Car parking at the airport should not be increased;
- Soil contamination has not been adequately addressed in the application;
- Night flights and their impact on human health, the subject of enforcement action and a separate planning application need to be addressed first.
Fingal County Council have sought further information on the application and DAA have 6 months to respond.
An Bord Pleanála refuses permission for demolition on sustainability and climate grounds
David Healy, Green Party Councillor for Howth/Malahide on Fingal County Council, has welcomed the recent decision of An Bord Pleanála on a planning appeal for the demolition and replacement of a habitable house in Howth.
Continue readingAIE request confirms that Iarnród Éireann hasn’t analysed the impact of a shuttle service from Howth Junction on local services
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.
Appeal in relation to Deer Park Hotel
I have made a planning appeal in relation to the application to demolish and replace the Deer Park Hotel. I agree with the appropriateness of the existing hotel use and with the renovation of the hotel. The appeal focuses on three issues:
- Sustainability assessment of demolition and reuse
- Access and permeability by foot
- Support for FIngal’s decision to refuse a large new access road
Letter from Green Fingal Councillors to Chief Executive in relation to enforcement of night flights cap at Dublin Airport
The Fingal Councillors have written to the Chief Executive asking her to apply for the lifting of the stay placed on the enforcement notices issued requiring Dublin Airport to comply with the conditions of its 2007 planning permission.
Continue readingInformation on sewage overflows
I have been campaigning for some years for Irish Water and Fingal County Council, who are their agents, to make information on all sewage overflows publicly available as soon as they happen. I was particularly concerned when a number of years ago we were told by Irish Water that there had been no sewage discharge at a particular location only to find out some months later that there had.
I believe the ongoing failure to make this information easily and immediately available to the public is a breach of the obligation of active dissemination in the Aarhus Convention and the Access to Information on the Environment (AIE) Regulations.
I have made an AIE request for information about the sewer network and locations of discharges and overflows, as well as details of the overflows over recent years. Here’s the response:
Continue readingSubmission to Dart+ North Consultation
My submission to Iarnród Éireann’s consultation on Dart+ North
- welcomes the study just announced of the double-tracking of Malahide to Connolly;
- opposes the proposed infrastructure for a shuttle service to Howth and asks for the analysis of double tracking to happen first;
- welcomes the recognition that Howth Junction station is misdesigned but asks for a more fundamental redesign of the station; and
- asks for coordination between Iarnród Éireann and Fingal County Council who are working on a Sutton to Malahide greenway.
It follows my previous observations.