Attention D15 residents

Marathon_Man

Folks,

The Fingal development plan is going to be voted on my local councillors in early January. This plan proposes a number of rezoning in the Fingal area and will lead to a huge increase in the amount of housing in many areas. For anyone who has experienced the already chronic traffic, lack of schools places etc I would encourage you to let councillors know your objections. This is one of the few responsibilities councillors have and after a rezoning has taken place it's too late. If you have strong feeling about this I'd encourage you to send an e-mail now before it's too late.

In particular the following are objectionable -

Kellystown (Porterstown) – rezoning being proposed again by the County Manager

Barnhill (Westmanstown) – rezoning proposed by County Manager. (He has since reduced the rezoning somewhat in size – make it clear we want the whole thing left untouched.)

Hollywoodrath (Tyrrelstown) – motion to rezone originally proposed by Cllr. Richardson, passed by Council. Motion to reverse decision being proposed

Navan Road, Castleknock (beside Travel Lodge) – motion originally proposed by former Cllr. Rainey passed by Council. Motion to reverse decision being proposed.


Again, e mails can be short and brief, restating simply your opposition on the grounds of LACK OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT, NO TRAIN CAPACITY, LACK OF SCHOOLS AND GENERAL INFRASTRUCTURE, LOSS OF VITAL GREEN BELT.

You elected these people. Get them to do what you rather than the developers want.

E-mails of councillors are


ciaran.byrne@fingalcoco.ie; davidj.oconnor@fingalcoco.ie; may.mckeon@fingalcoco.ie; joe.corr@fingalcoco.ie; clare.daly@fingalcoco.ie; michael.kennedy@fingalcoco.ie; gerry.mcguire@finhalcoco.ie; anne.devitt@fingalcoco.ie; tom.kelleher@fingalcoco.ie; ruth.coppinger@fingalcoco.ie; michael.odonovan@fingalcoco.ie; felix.gallagher@fingalcoco.ie; margaret.richardson@fingalcoco.ie; leo.varadkar@fingalcoco.ie; cllrpeggy.hamill@fingalcoco.ie; mags.murray@fingalcoco.ie; brenda.clifford@fingalcoco.ie; peter.coyle@fingalcoco.ie; robert.kelly@fingalcoco.ie; alan.farrrell@fingalcoco.ie; joan.maher@fingalcoco.ie; cllrdavid.healy@fingalcoco.ie; michaelj.cosgrave@fingalcoco.ie

JP Mulvano

Might be a good idea to post some sample letters leaving the vitals for us joe soaps to fill out.

No a resident of the area but am strongly opposed ot the lose of our green belts so I would email them if there was a sample letter. Otherwise I dont feel like I know enough of the back story. thanks

Marathon_Man

JP,

This is a copy of something I sent. Feel free to cut / paste stuff as you see fit. The more objections that are sent me does raise the profile of these things.

I'm sure there are other rezonings in Fingal but these are the ones local to me.

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- Fingal and Dublin 15 in particular has seen too-rapid a population
expansion without the infrastructure needed to sustain it.

- There is already land zoned for another 26,000 houses without any of the
rezonings in this Development Plan.

Some of the rezonings we wish to object to are as follows:

• Barnhill, Barberstown, Clonsilla: 150 acres of Green Belt proposed by the Manager to be rezoned for Residential.

Our objections include:
Infrastructure:
The residents feel that there is a lack of infrastructure in the area to sustain this development. If this proposal goes through, it could mean up to 4,000 new houses/apartments in Clonsilla. The population of Dublin 15 has already doubled in the last ten years and the supporting infrastructure needed by these new communities has not followed through, such as –

- As things stand, the Maynooth line that serves Clonsilla station is packed to capacity and over-capacity at peak times. Promises have been made for years that this line will be upgraded and it has never happened. The minor number of extra carriages that were introduced have had no effect given the daily increase in demand.
- The bus services to Clonsilla, Ongar and Littlepace are totally inadequate, long in duration and incapable of catering for the existing, rapidly growing population.
- The road network is very poor in this area. The Clonsilla Road is choked with traffic for most hours of the day and evening.
- The nearby community of Ongar had to wait years before proper footpaths and lighting was constructed.

- Dublin 15 already has a massive shortage of school places for our very young population. There is NO school site indicated in this zoning proposal.


2. Green Belt:

• This is an important area of green belt in a very populated area. The current zoning on this 150 acres of land is Green Belt and this should be protected.
• The area is an important ‘green lung’ between West Dublin and Meath.
Should this proposal go ahead, there will only be one field separating the two counties.
• This zoning contains the important amenity of the Royal Canal and some beautiful agricultural land. The Canal is an amenity that could be enjoyed by thousands of people, offering tranquility and quiet walks at a distance possible for families in Dublin 15 to enjoy to break away from the stresses of suburban life.


Other rezonings that are objected to are:

• Navan Road at the Little Chef: proposal to rezone from green belt to Suburban Centre.

- This proposal was opposed by the planners themselves who said it “compromises the integrity of the Royal Canal - Tolka Valley corridor which comprises lands zoned Green Belt, High Amenity and Open Space which together form a ‘green lung’ and visual break for surrounding urban areas”. This is the last vista or view onto the Tolka Valley and should be maintained.
- In addition, the rezoning to Suburban Centre allows for residential development also. There is absolutely no demand for another shopping centre, as the Blanchardstown Centre (Ireland’s biggest) is only slightly further up the Navan Road.
- The arguments about traffic are particularly strong here. Further population here would feed onto the very busy Navan Road and the adjoining roads of Castleknock. More development is taking place metres away on the former Phoenix Park Racecourse lands. Also, the speed limits of the dual carraigeway would not be safe.


• Hollywoodrath, Tyrellsown: About 30 acres of land beside Hollystown Golf
Course to be rezoned from Agricultural to Residential, with a density of five houses per acre.

- all of the previous arguments about lack of transport and infrastructure
and about huge population expansion in this area apply.
- Tyrellstown is a nearby new development of 2,000 houses.
- The density of this proposal is only for five houses per acre, but if allowed, more will be proposed in the future. (One rezoning always leads to the other with the argument of ‘well, there are houses near there already’.)
- This is the beginning of major development in this rural area of north Dublin.