COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, May 11, 2009
HEADED ITEM NO. 12
PROPOSED VARIATION TO SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2004-2010
N7 / TAY LANE JUNCION
(Proposed Variation No. 6)
REPLY:
Manager’s Report on
Submissions and Observations
PLANNING DEPARTMENT
MAY 2009
Introduction
It is proposed to initiate the procedures for the variation of the South Dublin County Development Plan 2004-2010 to insert an objective to provide for an easy-flow exit from the Naas Road (N7) at its junction with Tay Lane.
Tay Lane provides significant social and economic service to the Newcastle / Rathcoole and Saggart areas of the County and is crucial to the future development and continued growth of these areas. Its junction with the Naas Road (N7) is by way of a T junction at the western end of the off-ramp servicing Rathcoole and College Road. This junction was designed some years ago but is now inadequate for the volumes and speed of vehicles exiting the Naas Road at this point and has been the scene of frequent traffic accidents.
The junction endangers public safety by reason of traffic hazard and needs to be redesigned to provide for an easy-flow of traffic on a new deceleration lane inside the current deceleration lane on the N7, as is the standard method of providing for traffic exiting an un-signalled junction on a dual carriageway/motorway. To give effect to this proposal it would be necessary to acquire additional land and failing agreement, possibly by compulsory purchase order.
Proposed Variation
To facilitate the proposed junction improvements it is necessary to vary the County Development Plan by the insertion of a new Specific Local Objective. It is therefore proposed to insert the following Specific Local Objective No. 126 in the Written Statement of the South Dublin County Development Plan 2004-2010 and to amend the Maps accordingly:
Specific Local Objective No.126 - N7 / Tay Lane Junction Improvements
“To provide for an easy-flow exit from the Naas Road (N7) at its junction with Tay Lane in the interest of supporting the significant social and economic services that Tay Lane provides to the Newcastle / Rathcoole and Saggart areas.”
Strategic Environmental Assessment Screening
A screening report was prepared pursuant to Article 13K of the Planning and Development (Strategic Environmental Assessment) Regulations 2004 following an assessment in accordance with Schedule 2A of the Regulations. The screening report concluded that the Proposed Variation would not be likely to have significant effects on the environment. The report was circulated to the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Environmental Protection Agency, being the relevant Environmental Authorities. No submissions or observations were received in response to these notifications, and the Council determined that the Proposed Variation would not be likely to have significant effects on the environment.
Public Notification
The proposed Variation of the South Dublin County Development Plan 2004-2010 N7 / Tay Lane Junction Improvements (Variation No. 6) was advertised on 27th March 2009. Written submissions / observations on the proposed Variation were invited from interested parties. The period for receipt of submissions closed on 24th April 2009. Five submissions were received during the consultation period. Table 1 below sets out the list of these submissions and copies of the submissions are attached to this Report in Appendix A.
Table 1 List of Submissions on Proposed Variation No. 6
| Ref. No. | Submitter | Contact Name |
| Var6/01 | Councillor Trevor Gilligan | |
| Var6/02 | Kevin Kelly | |
| Var6/03 | Sean McDonnell | |
| Var6/04 | Councillor Dorothy Corrigan | |
| Var6/05 | National Roads Authority | Tara Spain, Senior Policy Adviser (Planning) |
Procedure
The County Manager is required by the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended):
· to prepare a Report on the submissions/observations received during the consultation period,
· to summarise the main points in the submissions, and
· to make recommendations on the submissions.
The Elected Members consider the Manager’s Report and then decide on the Variation not later than 6 weeks after receipt by them of the Manager’s Report.
Summary of Submissions
The issues raised in the submissions are summarised, commented on and recommended on in Table 2 below.
Table 2 Summary of Submissions with Responses and Recommendations
| Ref. No. | SUMMARY | Response | RECOMMENDaTION |
| Var6/01 | That it remains council policy to pressurise the council / NRA / Minister for Transport to allocate funds to keep the exit of Tay Lane open. | It is Council policy that Tay Lane be kept open in a safe manner and that resources be provided by relevant authorities to effect this policy. | Adopt the variation. |
| Var6/02 | Concerns, that if road was to close or partially close, regarding: Safety issues in the area including concern about increase in traffic using alternative routes including back lanes (Athgoe Road); Access for emergency services and other heavy vehicles in this area. | The primary road access to Tay Lane would remain the R120 (College Lane) which is built for this purpose. Alternative routes such as that mentioned can be modified by way of traffic calming in such a manner to prevent safety issues arising. This proposal provides for a safer access to Tay lane than that which already exists | Adopt the variation |
| Var6/03 | The Tay Lane N7 junction is unsafe, but either partially or fully closing the junction will not solve the problem. Why can a safe junction not be constructed? There are some not so costly modifications that could improve the junction. Lack of funds is not the issue. There are only two possible explanations for partial or full closure; either engineering incompetence or the precedence of some other agenda. SDCC and or the NRA designed and erected the footbridge at Tay Lane as part of the N7 widening process but in doing so created the only obstacle to the provision of a fully operational and safe junction at Tay Lane. The present junction layout is dangerous in several respects as it employs barriers and signage not used at any other junction, and the signage is so positioned to block visibility when exiting Tay Lane. Irrespective of whether the proposed improvement is a left out or left in arrangement the junction will continue to be unsafe. There is absolutely no justification for the full or partial closure of this busy junction. There is no other junction from the Red cow interchange to Johnstown that had to be closed because of the widening of the N7. I would urge those tasked with serving the community to stop this nonsense, admit their mistakes forget about agendas, and complete the work to provide a fully functional safe junction between Tay lane and the N7, which will serve the community as heretofore, and which should have been the objective of any engineering works had other agendas been left aside. I would urge that this proposed variation be rejected. | The provision of this variation will address the issues raised. Safety is the primary concern in relation to the partial closure of Tay lane. The pedestrian bridge was provided on foot of a request from over 1000 residents of the Newcastle and Rathcoole area and its location was dependant on the desired pedestrian route across the Naas Road. The present situation cannot continue and needs immediate resolution. The proposed variation provides a much safer alternative to the existing situation and can be provided as resources permit. | Adopt the Variation |
| Var6/04 | Maintaining access to Tay Lane is an urgent priority for the community; Tay Lane serves a large number of the motoring public; The few minor accidents at the junction do not justify closing off the access until funds are available to upgrade the junction; The proposed extinguishment of the right of way as part of the upgrade of the N7 was a lack of forward planning and bad decision making; Did the NRA refuse funding for access from the N7? It is my understanding that funding has been made available by the NRA to maintain access from Tay Lane to the N7; Would urge that the current access is maintained until funding is received to put in place a more appropriate and safer layout of the junction. | The Council would like to maintain the junction open in a safe manner and the junction needs to be modified to ensure this. A level of funding is being made available by the NRA to improve safety at this location. The funding is conditional on the approval of the Department of Finance. | Adopt the variation |
| Var6/05 | The Authority does not support the inclusion of this objective as a variation of the County Development Plan as it will compromise the Authority’s future plans for the N7. | The proposed variation when implemented will improve the safety of the junction for existing road users and does not compromise any future plans that the NRA might have for the N7 corridor. | Adopt the variation. |
Conclusions
No changes to the wording of the Proposed Variation are recommended.
It is therefore recommended that the wording of the Proposed Variation be adopted as advertised and displayed.
Next Steps Regarding the Proposed Variation
· The proposed variation and the County Manager’s Report shall be considered by the Members within 6 weeks of the submission to them of the Manager’s Report.
· In making a Variation, the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) states that the members of the authority shall be restricted to considering the proper planning and sustainable development of the area to which the development plan relates, the statutory obligations of the local authority and any relevant policies or objectives for the time being of the Government or any Minister of the Government.
· The members of the planning authority, having considered the proposed Variation and Manager's Report, may, by resolution as they consider appropriate, make the Variation, with or without modifications, or they may refuse to make it.
· A Variation of a Development Plan shall have effect from the date the variation is made.
· A SEA Statement to be published after any Variation is adopted shall include information on how environmental considerations have been integrated throughout the Variation process.
Recommendation
That this Council hereby resolves to make a Variation to the South Dublin County Council Development Plan 2004–2010, as provided for under Section 13 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended), by the insertion of Specific Local Objective No. 126 in Chapter 14 of the Written Statement of the County Development Plan 2004-2010, with the following wording:
Specific Local Objective No.126 - N7 / Tay Lane Junction Improvements
“To provide for an easy-flow exit from the Naas Road (N7) at its junction with Tay Lane in the interest of supporting the significant social and economic services that Tay Lane provides to the Newcastle / Rathcoole and Saggart areas.”