COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF LUCAN AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

MOTION NO.

MOTION: Councillor G. O'Connell

ITEM MOVED AND RE-ENTERED FROM MARCH (ITEM 43739)

"As a follow up to my motion passed at the December 2013 LAC, and subsequent ones including November 2104, and given the agreed policy on the Mobility and Management of Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) on South Dublin County Road Network, the subsequent review of weight restrictions that now include a weight restriction of 7.5 tonne on Kennelsfort Road and on the Estates between the R148 and Kennelsfort Road, the revised exclusion zone on Kennelsfort Road and the Chief Executives commitment to review the positon:

This committee now requests that the Chief Executive revisit the issue, as provided for in the Mobility and Management of Heavy Goods Policy adopted by this Council in 2013 and provide for:

(A) a restriction of 3.5 tonne on Kennelsfort Road Upper from the N148 to the entrance of Woodfarm Acres for the following evidence based reasons:

The Dublin City Council has installed a 3.5 tonne restriction on Ballyfermot Road and as both this road and Kennelsfort Road, are in effect the same road that meets at the County Boundary; as both feed into and serve traffic on the Coldcut Road which serves the Liffey Valley Town Centre, Fonthill Business Park, Park West and the Industrial/Business Estates in Clondalkin served by Cloverhill Road, it is imperative that both Ballyfermot Road and Kennelsfort Road have the same level of protection otherwise there will be (there already is) a huge displacement factor with Kennelsfort Road having to carry excessive and undesirable Heavy Goods Vehicle and Heavy (medium) Goods Vehicles traffic.

Kennelsfort Road is already carrying excessive levels of motorised traffic, mainly but not solely commuter traffic and increasingly Liffey Valley Town Centre Traffic (which will increase when the expansion of Liffey Valley Town Centre takes place) especially at peak times leading to serious congestion with attendant noise and air pollution and to an unacceptable level of safety hazards for residents, pedestrians and cyclists;

(B) by installing a barrier restricting barrier at the 18 Bus Terminus that will allow public vehicles but prevent Heavy Goods Vehicles and Heavy (medium) Goods Vehicles (C1 or C!+l) and permit cars and small vans of less than 3.5 tonne carrying capacity thus removing a significant percentage of the motorised traffic and attendant hazards from Kennelsfort Road. There are feasible alternative routes.

In seeking these restrictions, it should be noted that the houses on Kennelsfort Road with a current 7.5 tonne restriction are fronting onto Kennelsfort Road with consequential excessive motorised traffic, noise and air pollution due to the lack of a 'buffer' space, unlike the houses on Ballyfermot Road which are set well back from the roadway but have has a 3.5 tonne restriction/protection imposed by Dublin City Council.

Kennelsfort Road has four controlled pedestrian crossings reflecting the fact that it serves four crèches, two primary and one second level school with a combined young person population of in excess of 1500 children as well as an active and busy cemetery, a Public House and a significant Shopping Centre which incorporates the Post Office; Kennelsfort Road Upper is the distributor road for the residential estates of Woodfarm Acres (650 houses), Oak Court and Glenaulin Estates (600 houses), Palmerstown Court/adjacent residential by Shopping Centre (350 houses), Palmers Manor Estate (450 houses) and also provides access to Manor Road Shopping Area and Credit Union as well as to the 1300 homes between the R148 and Kennelsfort Road; all of which leads to it being extensively motorised and used by Senior Citizens, young persons and their parents and other pedestrians who arrive by Bus. 5. Kennelsfort Road has two cycle ways which promote this mode of transport even though the road is quite narrow, has two significant hill gradients and two serious bends and as such requires restricted vehicle flows which in accordance with the published Policy of this Council, and if permeability is to be promoted, should only allow for cars and light vans as in category B instead of the vans and small trucks allowed under (Category C1). Kennelsfort Road meets all the criteria set out in the Policy for a 3.5 tonne restriction.

(C) The current 7.50 tonne restriction on the Residential Estates between the R148 and Kennelsfort Road must be changed to a 3.5 tonne restriction. This is in keeping with Council policy. The facts speak for themselves; this is a high density residential area, built in the 1950s before progressive planning acts with two primary schools and very narrow roads. Again, if this Council is to seriously implement a coherent permeability policy it must improve the level of safety for pedestrians and cyclists within the area. The area qualifies for additional signage “for Cars only” as provided for in the Council Policy.

This Committee calls on the Chief Executive to initiate the necessary measures to install the above traffic restrictions on both Kennelsfort Road upper and the Estates between the R148 and Kennelsfort Road in accordance with the Mobility and Management of Heavy Goods Vehicles Policy of this Council and to bring a headed item to the May meeting of the Council on the matter."

REPORT:

This matter has been re-examined and changes to the current weight restriction is not recommended. This restriction was put in place by the Council to limit unnecessary heavy traffic on the route consistent with economic development of the County. This position has not changed. The weight restriction is in conformity with Council policy.

Kennelsfort road is a major district distributor road and carries a volume of traffic consistent with such use in a developing County in a semi- urban environment. The road is not entirely for car use only and carries a number of public service vehicles such as emergency and bus traffic as well as those others uses described. The provision of barriers such as those described would be a safety hazzard and cannot be countenanced in any circumstance.

The enforcement of the weight restriction is a matter for the Garda Authorities and a meeting was arranged to discuss same with the Gardai with a view to addressing any issues they might have. It has been agreed to provide additional signage on the road. These signs will be provided as soon as this can be arranged.