COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SDZ, LAPS AND PLANNING PROJECTS

Friday, January 26, 2018

MOTION NO. 310

MOTION: Councillor G. O'Connell

Section 2.2.2 Given that the Clonburris site is landlocked and the stated public policy that “Development within the existing urban footprint of the Metropolitan Area will be consolidated to achieve a more compact urban form, allowing for the accommodation of a greater population than at present, with much-enhanced public transport system, with the expansion of the built up areas providing for well-designed urban environments linked to high quality public transport networks, enhancing the quality of life for residents and workers alike.”( Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy 2016-2035) it is conditional on any development in the SDZ being started that the delivery of the upgrading of the surrounding road network, the provision of an Orbital Road running North south between the N7 and N4 and the provision of a link road from Clonburris SDZ directly on to this link road and the delivery of a public transport system for the SDZ and the surrounding communities of Lucan, Adamstown and Clondalkin as set out in the (Revised) Phasing Table (4.3)shall have been delivered or otherwise agreed in writing with South Dublin County Council by the relevant funders and providers.

Councillors Guss O’Connell, Liona O’Toole, Francis Timmons and Paul Gogarty

REPORT:

The proposed motion seeks to restrict the commencement of development in Clonburris pending the delivery of the Western Orbital Road, a connection from Clonburris to this road and a public transport system.

In relation to the provision of a public transport system, a submission from the NTA on the Draft Planning Scheme confirms that the NTA is committed to deliver the level of additional public transport infrastructure required to serve Clonburris as identified under the Transport Assessment and Strategy for the Draft Planning Scheme. The submission of the NTA states that it is intended to complete the BusConnects Programme by 2019 including aspects that will cater for the demands of the SDZ Planning Scheme. 

Further to additional correspondence (January 2018), the NTA advises that it intended to provide the new orbital service through the SDZ lands linking Blanchardstown to Tallaght in the short term. Additionally, the NTA indicate that as part of the BusConnects network review, a number of high frequency local, radial and further orbital services are being considered to serve Lucan and Clondalkin, some of which will serve Clonburris directly, and some which can be adapted to serve Clonburris as development occurs in the future. 

The NTA has also stated that it is envisaged that the Kishoge railway station will open in 2020 once development occurs in its vicinity. The NTA indicate that Kishoge will be served by the same number of trains as the existing service to Adamstown, including those which are provided via the Phoenix Park Tunnel. The NTA indicate that off peak services will be introduced in 2018. Prior to the roll out of the DART Expansion Programme, the NTA have indicated that further improvements to the service will occur to deliver a higher capacity, higher frequency service to Clonburris. 

Within the context that traffic generated by Clonburris will contribute to less than 1% of the overall traffic on the strategic road network in the AM peak period, with a trip distribution primarily to the north, south and east, the development of the SDZ lands is not considered to be reliant on the delivery of the Western Dublin Orbital Route. This proposed motion would therefore inappropriately inhibit and delay the development of the Draft SDZ Lands in the medium to long term

The Transport Assessment and Strategy (Chapter 6) models the impact of the Draft Clonburris Planning Scheme combined with existing and planned development on the planned transport. While the proposed Western Dublin Orbital Route has been tested as part of the wider strategic analysis under the Transport Assessment and Transport Strategy (2017) that accompanies the Draft Planning Scheme, the Tallaght – Blanchardstown Core Orbital Bus Route (along with additional bus routes), the DART Expansion Programme, the planned internal street network and local junction upgrades have been modelled to service the trip demands generated by Clonburris in line with the Transport Strategy for the GDA.  

The development of the SDZ lands is therefore not considered to be reliant on the Western Dublin Orbital Route, which will have a wider strategic role, and the linking of the development of the SDZ lands to this medium to long terms strategic regional road would be inappropriate. 

The 2026 modelling of the Draft Planning Scheme demonstrates that the proposed street network, pedestrian and cycle network together with existing and planned pubic transport (including core orbital bus routes), street upgrades and junction improvements will be sufficient to service the trip demands generated by Clonburris. Within this context, approximately 47% of trips in the AM period will be undertaken by walking, cycling and public transport in 2026. 

The motion includes a road linking the SDZ lands to the Western Dublin Orbital route. A direct link between Clonburris SDZ and the Western Dublin Orbital Route, such an Arterial Road is not considered necessary particularly in relation to the projected easterly, southerly and northerly distribution of trips than will be generated by the SDZ Planning Scheme and the volume of traffic that it will contribute to the strategic road network. Such a link road would also be at variance with the key objectives of the Draft Planning Scheme to achieve a sustainable modal split and this has not been modelled as part of the Transport Assessment and Strategy as it is not included as part of the Strategic Road and Street Network in the South Dublin County Council Development Plan 2016-2022. This road is not included as part of the Strategic Road and Street Network in the South Dublin County Council Development Plan 2016-2022 and the introduction of a new strategic transport proposal in the Development Plan is outside the remit of the Planning Scheme.

The subject motion would inappropriately delay the commencement of development in the SDZ.

Recommendation

It is recommended that this motion is not adopted.

Strategic Environmental Assessment of Chief Executive’s Recommendation

Provision of such a road is not identified in the South Dublin CDP 2016-2022 and would not be consistent with material assets, air quality and climate SEOs in particular.

Appropriate Assessment Screening of Chief Executive’s Recommendation

No likely significant effects on European sites within the SDZ’s zone of influence are predicted.