Reply - M 254

COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF DEVELOPMENT PLAN MEETING

Thursday, June 18, 2015

MOTION NO. 254

MOTION: Councillor P. Gogarty

On page 108 Amend 6.6 Western Dublin Orbital Route (north), removing typos and adding additional text to read: Major regional link between the N7 to N4. Any further connections, and a possible alternative route to the west of Leixlip and/or Celbridge, will be determined in consultation with Kildare and Fingal County Councils, the National Roads Authority and the National Transport Authority. The primary objective of South Dublin County Council in this regard shall be to protect the scenic Liffey Valley parklands and amenities at Lucan Demesne and St Catherine’s by restricting any road bridge at this location while giving consideration to the possibility of a tunnel.

Co-sponsored by Cllrs Liona O’Toole, Deirdre O Donovan, Guss O’Connell, Francis Timmons, Francis Noel Duffy

REPORT:

This issue was partly addressed at the Development Plan Meeting on 12 February 2015.

Motion 194 stated:

‘It shall be an objective of the 2016 - 2022 County Development Plan, in association with the NRA and Kildare County Council to provide a relief road West of Grangecastle and Adamstown linking the N7 and the N4 west of Leixlip’.

This was addressed as follows:

‘It is current development plan policy for a long term road objective for North-South Road – west of Adamstown SDZ linking N7 to N4 and on to Fingal. The analysis process undertaken as part of the preparation the County Development Plan (2016-2022 reaffirmed the need for both orbital road and public transport routes within the County. This includes a demand for movements between employment and population centres to the west of the Outer Ring Road, such as Citywest, Grangecastle and Lucan. Such a route would effectively link the N4 and N7 and would be extended north of the County boundaries to further employment/population centres such as Leixlip and beyond.’

The motion was amended and adopted as follows:

‘It shall be an objective of the 2016 - 2022 County Development Plan, in association with the NRA to provide a relief road west of Grangecastle and Adamstown linking the N7 and the N4 west of Leixlip subject to consultation with Kildare County Council’.

To address the Motion the following was added to Table 6.6 Medium to Long Term Road Objectives:

Proposal	Description	Function
Western Dublin Orbital Route (north)	New high capacity road from Tootenhill to the Leixlip Interchange (with a provision to make a further connection to the N3)	Major regional link between the N7 to N4. Any further connections, and a possible alterative route to the west of Leixlip, will be determined in consultation with Kildare and Fingal County Council’s, the National Roads Authority and the National Transport Authority.

The form of the crossing over the Liffey Valley has not been determined at this stage. This will be subject to a cost benefit analysis and the appropriate environmental appraisals (such as an Environmental Impact Statement). This process will require a range of alternatives to be considered including a tunnel.

Whilst the intention to protect the amenities of the Liffey Valley is understood, it is not considered appropriate that the County Development Plan would preclude a bridge at this location.