[Article] 'Go west’ rail option conflicts with council

IIMII

Meath Chronicle, 10.06.2009

The recent decision by the Minister for Transport, Noel Dempsey, to select the route west of Dunshaughlin for the Dunboyne to Navan rail route, route A, conflicted with the choice of Meath County Council, which preferred the route B option east of Dunshaughlin.
In his response to an Iarnrod Eireann submission to the Draft Local Area Plan for Dunshaughlin, Meath County Manager Tom Dowling said that the policy approach in the railway company’s submission would “support the council’s preferred route B as it will generate a greater catchment, given its proximity to existing and proposed residential areas and to lands that are serviced within the compact urban form”.
Also supporting route B was Menolly Developments, the Seamus Ross-owned development company which owns a substantial bank of land at Bonestown. The summary of the company’s submission on the draft plan states that the approach of creating a compact urban form by the appropriate siting of the rail line is welcomed.
The submission enclosed results of a survey confirming that route B is the best option for the rail line in terms of better planning.
The submission also seeks the rezoning of additional lands to the north of the development area boundary for employment and amenity/recreational use (10-12 acres) on the basis of their proximity to the town centre and the proposed rail station on route B.
Menolly said that a report by The Railway Consultancy Limited maintains that significant savings can be made to route B by reducing the number of road crossings; route B would also generate greater patronage and would generate greater development levies. Menolly said that, in the event that route B does not proceed, the council should reconsider the policy of not zoning any additional lands for residential use.
The manager’s response was that it is not sustainable to zone additional lands in the event that the rail project is not advanced.
In a response on a submission from Maplewood Developments, Mr Dowling said that the council is fully supportive of option B and, in this regard, it is not proposed to change the draft plan.
Castlethorn Developments welcomed the support for the eastern route for the rail line in the interests of compactness but noted it is more expensive as it involves numerous road crossings, and pointed out that route A is located close to the national road network which would better facilitate passenger drop-off and a park and ride facility. Castlethorn, owners of the Killeen Castle gold development, has a large development site on the Drumree Road.
Irish Rail recently submitted the feasibility study on phase two of the Navan rail line to the Department of Transport. The study examined two possible routes in detail - option A, which runs along the original railway alignment, and option B, which is a new route to the east of Dunshaughlin.
On the basis of the detailed analysis carried out by Irish Rail, the preferred option which has emerged is option A. The feasibility study concluded that option A is preferable for a number of reasons: it was the preferred option from the public consultation carried out by Irish Rail - with over 80 per cent indicating a preference; it has a shorter journey time to Dublin of 59 minutes as opposed to 62 minutes for option B; it provides a better economic rate of return for the State’s investment, and it can be provided at significantly lower cost.
It is understood that option B would have cost in the region of €100 million extra due to the number of crossings of the M3 motorway which would be required and link roads that would be necessary.

IIMII

Tom Dowling wrote: »

Meath County Manager Tom Dowling said that the policy approach in the railway company’s submission would “support the council’s preferred route B as it will generate a greater catchment, given its proximity to existing and proposed residential areas and to lands that are serviced within the compact urban form”.

What a load of waffle - it will be expensive enough without having to cross the M3 twice. Bear in mind that these are the same County Council planners that left railway bridges out of the M3 plans in the first place

Sponge Bob

what state is cannistown in , wet ???

westtip

IIMII wrote: »

What a load of waffle - it will be expensive enough without having to cross the M3 twice. Bear in mind that these are the same County Council planners that left railway bridges out of the M3 plans in the first place

Exactly - incompetent fools benchmarked to a salary level that is way beyond reason.

Stroke Politics

A load more nonsense from macrobiotic Tom.....

Are a few of those developers part of the original Anglo 10?

serfboard

IIMII wrote: »

Also supporting route B was Menolly Developments, the Seamus Ross-owned development company which owns a substantial bank of land at Bonestown.

Department to Menolly Developments: OK, Seamus, we'll choose option B instead since it would suit you. We await your payment of the full development cost.

IIMII

Sponge Bob wrote: »

what state is cannistown in , wet ???

Ah, I'd say so - it's in a pit at the moment! They are tarmacing above it at the moment, and it's still fenced off

There are plenty of issues to be addressed along the route, but I wouldn't be as worried about this one I was initially. The 'box' is located at the peak height after where it climbs from the Boyne at Bective bridge and where it starts to drop again coming towards Navan, so it shouldn't cause too much of problem, though it will be in a puddle until they excavate on either side of it

All this based on a premise that it will get as far as the construction stage anytime soon, something I am far from convinced will happen

serfboard wrote: »

Department to Menolly Developments: OK, Seamus, we'll choose option B instead since it would suit you. We await your payment of the full development cost.

Yeah, you'd think now that we finally have a route (the original route:rolleyes:), they would just leave it go

Sponge Bob

IIMII wrote: »

Ah, I'd say so - it's in a pit at the moment! They are tarmacing above it at the moment, and it's still fenced off

There are plenty of issues to be addressed along the route, but I wouldn't be as worried about this one I was initially. The 'box' is located at the peak height after where it climbs from the Boyne at Bective bridge and where it starts to drop again coming towards Navan, so it shouldn't cause too much of problem, though it will be in a puddle until they excavate on either side of it

Excellent, do you now feel that if you had not flagged the 'missing' underpass last winter then Meath Countyy Council and Noel Dempsey would have done nothing and this line probably could not have been built , too expensive .

And if they wouldn't then what does the rest matter ....A or B .

IIMII

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Excellent, do you now feel that if you had not flagged the 'missing' underpass last winter then Meath Countyy Council and Noel Dempsey would have done nothing and this line probably could not have been built , too expensive .

And if they wouldn't then what does the rest matter ....A or B .

Yes, it would be dead completely if it had been 'forgotten', as they were doing. The cost of retro-fitting it, and closing them M3 would have killed it off completely. That's why you have to laugh at MCC having any type of 'opinion' on this

Re A & B - the developers don't need the line to be built to capitalise on the railway - they just need to be able to flash a map with a station next to the estate to their potential buyers. Once the houses are flogged they couldn't care less if it is built. The MCC County Manage backing this €100m extra proposal is crazy, especially when the can build up around the former line - we aren't talking about existing residents here in either location

Sponge Bob

IIMII wrote: »

The cost of retro-fitting it, and closing them M3 would have killed it off completely.

Lomg thread that Cannistown one , much easier to ask a simple question .

Dempsey and Meath county council can **** right off so, the both of them .

The Hypocrites probably wanted Cannistown chopped off so they could blame some faceless road consortium for their failures.