COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF DEVELOPMENT PLAN MEETING

Thursday, June 18, 2015

MOTION NO. 256

MOTION: Councillor F.N. Duffy

Page 97 –

TM2 Objective 4: To establish a future public rail transport corridor between Saggart and Hazelhatch, linking the greater Tallaght area to the west via Saggart/Citywest, Greenogue/Baldonnell & Newcastle, facilitating future sustainable development.

Co-signed by Cllrs FN Duffy, Paul Gogarty, Francis Timmons & Dermot Looney

REPORT:

The provision of public transport services within the County is the responsibility of national agencies such as the National Transport Authority (NTA) and Railway Procurement Agency and is overseen by strategic planning documents such as the NTA Integrated Implementation Plan 2013-2018 and (Draft) Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy 2011-2030.  There are no current plans to provide a link between Saggart and Hazelhatch. 

South Dublin County Council can, via the County Development Plan, identify and guide the development of future routes where there is, or will be, a strong demand for such services due to population and employment growth.  Two orbital routes have been proposed within the draft Plan.  One route following the alignment of the Metro-West (linking Tallaght, Clondalkin and Liffey Valley) and another linking Tallaght, Citywest, Grange Castle and Lucan. 

There is a concern that the inclusion of a route between Saggart and Hazelhatch could not be delivered in the foreseeable future and would unduly raise community expectations as: 

• The route has not been identified within a national/regional plan.

• The surrounding area does not have the population (existing or projected) to sustain a rail service and is not serviced to facilitate growth.

• A supportive cost/benefit analysis is highly unlikely.

Identification of the route would also increase pressure to zone land for development in an area that has not been identified for growth within the core strategy.

It should also be noted that the National Transport Authority is in the process of reviewing the Draft Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area 2011-2030, and preparing a new Transport Strategy for the period 2015 to 2035.  It is anticipated that this plan will be put to public exhibition in the coming weeks.  This will provide an opportunity to make direct representations on public transport related matters.

Recommendation

It is recommended that this motion is not adopted.