Draft Clonsilla Framework Plan?

The residents will always say No, even when it means depriving themselves of something good. Those in support are demonised.

I feel that the radical items in the draft plan were proposed by consultants without "that'll never happen/never work" restrictions. Such ideas are good starting points. (The DART, Luas and Dublin Bikes were all predicted to fail; I'm sure the pedestrianisation of Grafton Street was opposed too)

The ideas are trying to solve existing problems. If those making a submission don't like the ideas I really hope they offer other solutions to solve the problems.

With respect to the cycle lane, I'm sick of fearing for my life when I go to Lidl or the graveyard. I should not have to cycle an extra 1km each way (almost doubling the distance) to go via Ongar Road and the Clonsilla Link Road.

Exactly this.

Too often the path of most resistance is chosen for such access battles. It's like the intent is to create a stalemate or argument.

I just don't get why with green fields either side you'd go through an established housing estate. There's recent development in this area that could have had stipulations for future access. Instead of coming back to it after you've waited for new development to be completed that conflicts with future plans.

If it's a mess then the planners created it.

Was the same in the past. All those alley ways that were open in my youth are mostly all closed.

Having said that I'm still on board with making things walkable within reason..

Those routes as you call them, are part of the original design. It hasn't changed since they built it. They haven't added new access to anything. Also open to cars is a completely different conversation.

Of course you would, but then you can't complain afterwards that there isn't a focal point for a village centre.

The design has the flaws you identify, but the flaw in rejecting it is that you will never get a Clonsilla Village Centre without it.

Still and all, why take the risk. Leave well enough alone.

 but the flaw in rejecting it is that you will never get a Clonsilla Village Centre without it.

Only if you take the proposal as a single, unalterable package than can be either approved or rejected. There is plenty in there that could be kept and could make concrete improvements to Clonsilla without triggering mass objections from residents.

Unfortunately, what has happened now is that the original plan was so bonkers that the overwhelming majority of submissions are against it, so it will have to go back to the drawing board in a big way.

But the lands in question are part of an existing walled in private estate - I don't think you can just take green space from a long time settled community like that, who care for and use the land, and make it someone else's park.

Anyway - there was an update from Fingal - and they said touching the hedges or railings for most of the estate was off the cards - as were any new playgrounds - but the document they produced - about 60 pages - is not very clear to read, especially about their plans around the village area.

Those walls also impact on active travel, forcing peds and cyclists to take long routes.

For example, Riverwood Gardens backs onto Warren Avenue. If the Riverwood side has been better designed there was the opportunity to open that gap. It would dramatically shorten the walking route to Spar (from 1.1km to 500m, 6min less of a walk), CCC and St Patrick's. Even getting to the train station would be shorter (from 950m to 830m, a min of walking).

Bracken Park Drive to Castleknock Way is another missed opportunity. There is a park between Castleknock Way/Elms/Crescent. Opening access to Bracken Park Drive would significantly shorten the distance to Centra, the church, Scoil Thomáis and bus stops. And it would give residents of Bracken Park access to some open space (something that is lacking within Bracken Park).

Furthermore, there are (long term) plans for a ped/cycling bridge between that open space area and Park Drive on the other side of the M50.

In my submission to the Fingal Dev Plan I did ask that new estates do not have walls at their boundaries, so that future adjacent estates can be accessed.