Submission to An Bord Pleanála oral hearing in relation to Clonshaugh sewage treatment plant and Ireland’s Eye outfall

Leave a Reply

At today’s Oral Hearing into the proposed sewage treatment plant, I am making this presentation  focusing on the water quality aspects of the proposal. I have recently become aware of the important biodiversity along the sewer route at Ballymun and I am glad to have the opportunity to include the Ballymun Wildlife Group’s Report on Biodiversity at Northpoint in my  submission.

South Fingal Transport Study

Leave a Reply

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.

Response to Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy consultation

Leave a Reply

As a member of the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly, I was involved in drafting the Green Party submission to the consultation on the draft Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy. The submission is quite brief and contains recommendations in the following areas:

  • ensuring that effective sustainability indicators are used;
  • halting and reversing biodiversity loss in line with the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, including large-scale rewetting of peatlands and restoration of natural ecosystems including wetlands and woodlands across the region, taking account of the major social and economic benefits which could result;
  • ensuring the implementation of the Water Framework Directive through the planning system;
  • transitioning to the circular economy;
  • measuring the greenhouse gas emissions from the plan and ensuring it puts us on a path to a low -carbon economy
  • investing in walking and cycling, recognising their public health and environmental benefits
  • investing in public transport, in particular rail.

Kinsealy Greenways Feasibility Study published

4 Replies

The report on the Kinsealy Greenways Feasibility Study for which funding was obtained in 2017 following discussion in the County Development Plan process in 2016 has been published. It will be discussed at the Area Committee in March.

Overall, the report demonstrates the feasibility and value of providing dedicated greenway cycle routes between the towns and villages in the area.

There are a few aspects of it which I’m not clear about, and I’ll post updates when I receive them.

Kinsealy Environs – Final Report – Nov 2018

Appendix A -Development Zones

Appendix B – Existing Planning Applications-13.03.2018

Appendix C – Ecological Constraints Map

Appendix D – Tree Survey and Report

Appendix E – Architectural Heritage Map

Appendix F – Archaeological Study and Report – Cultural heritage constraints study

Appendix G – Existing Built and Natural Environment-Map

Appendix H – Existing Utilities

Appendix I – Link Types cross-sections

Drinking water fountains to be installed in Malahide and Howth

Leave a Reply

At the moment Fingal has no public drinking water fountains. This is in contrast to the situation in many other urban areas across Europe, where drinking water fountains are provided in public streets and parks. I raised it in the Howth/Malahide Area Committee in March and June, and this month I raised it at the full Council, as did Cllr. Barry Martin.

On foot of my motion, the Council established a policy of providing drinking water fountains in parks, on streets, and at beaches. The first step is the provision of two water fountains in the Howth Malahide Area in the next few weeks.

Draft Bus Connects submission

Leave a Reply

 

***Bus Connects consultation today Monday 17th September 2pm to 8pm Grand Hotel Malahide***

***Submission deadline 28th September www.busconnects.ie***

My draft submission is below. I would be interested in any feedback, positive or negative before I submit it.

1.Howth to city centre along the coast

The existing 31/31A service is well used. In addition to local residents and employees, including those whose trips are far from the railway stations, the passengers include a lot of tourists who might be using it instead of the Dart because of the scenic views as well as the direct access to stops on Howth Hill. The analysis carried out for Bus Connects seems to have a focus on residents’ access to work and education. It is not clear what data you are using for tourist trips on Dublin Bus.

Continue reading →

Further consultation on sewage plant and effluent outfall

An Bord Pleanála has written to say that Irish Water omitted documents from its application. There will be a further public consultation until 17th October. Information on this is at http://www.greaterdublindrainage.com/2018/09/07/additional-statutory-consultation-for-gdd/ . My previous submission is here.

Iarnród Éireann’s new timetable breaks some of the connections in our integrated public transport network

Iarnród Éireann have announced new timetables to take effect on 9th September. This follows a public consultation in December 2015.
I responded to the consultation then pointing out the disimprovements which would result from having trains run through stations without stopping and a lack of timetabling for connections. Unfortunately, those changes are still proposed. I have followed up with IÉ today as follows:
Many people responded to the public consultation in 2015. Unfortunately, it seems as if those responses weren’t taken into account. Is there a document summarising the content of the input received to the consultation and IÉ’s responses to the submissions?
You seem to have reduced services to some areas more than in the proposal you put to consultation. It is simply not correct to say that “Howth Junction, Clongriffin and Portmarnock will be served by fewer weekday Northern Commuter services”. The timetable which has been put online shows no diesel services stopping at these stations. There’s a considerable amount of irritation at the fact that so many trains will now be passing through Portmarnock, Clongriffin and Howth Junction without stopping and that the travel patterns people have developed in reliance on the services will not be disrupted.

Continue reading →