COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF DEVELOPMENT PLAN MEETING
Tuesday, March 01, 2022
MOTION NO.66
MOTION: Councillor William Joseph Carey
Page 96 CE recommendation from Description - New road from the N7 to the N4 with a potential extension to the N81. to Description - New road from the N7 to the N4 with an extension to the N81. proposed by Cllr William Carey and Cllr Derren OBradaigh
REPORT:
The motion seeks that the description of the Western Dublin Orbital Route changes from the CE Recommendation reading ‘Description: New road from the N7 to the N4 with a potential extension to the N81’ to ‘Description - New road from the N7 to the N4 with an extension to the N81.’
Requests for the description and function of this road proposal to be amended were submitted to the Draft Plan through the public consultation period under various submissions including SD-C195-270, SD-C195-248, SD-C195-255 and under the National Transport Authority submission SD-C195-245. The Chief Executive responded to all and to the NTA submission in pgs. 94-96 and under section 2.3 and Chapter 7: Road Network pgs. 699-701 recommending that the Description and Function be amended to read as follows:
Description-New Road from the N7 to the N4 with a potential extension to the N81.
Function - New Road to link between the N7 and the N4 Leixlip Interchange with a route by-pass function around Rathcoole and Saggart and the potential for a further extension of this route from the N7 to the N81. The function of this route would be to provide resilience to the M50 in particular between the N7 and N4 and further connections and possible alternative routes will be determined through the review of the NTA’s GDA Strategy and in consultation with TII and relevant local authorities.
In any such route a primary objective of South Dublin County Council shall be to protect environmentally sensitive areas including the scenic Liffey Valley parklands, and amenities at Lucan Demesne and St Catherine’s Park and Lucan Village and no proposals to continue a road over these lands will be considered.
The reasoning for this recommended amendment as set out in the CE report was in recognition to the points raised by the NTA in regard to the function of this route between the N7 and N4 being to provide resilience to the M50 and the requirements for this route to be protected from inappropriate development which may compromise this function. It was further noted that the extension of this route from the N7 to the N81 would need to be demonstrated against the objectives of the NTA Transport Strategy.
In this regard it is still considered appropriate and transparent to amend the wording in Table 7.5 in order to make reference to the proposed route and its function between the N7 and N4 and furthermore to include wording in regard to the required justification for any extension to this route from the N7 and N81 in line with the Transport Strategy Objectives.
It is therefore recommended that this motion is not adopted, and the wording as set out in the CE report in regard to the description and function of the Western Orbital Route is maintained subject to any further amendments that may be agreed by way of other motions:
Description: New Road from the N7 to the N4 with a potential extension to the N81.
Function: New Road to link between the N7 and the N4 Leixlip Interchange with a route by-pass function around Rathcoole and Saggart and the potential for a further extension of this route from the N7 to the N81. The function of this route would be to provide resilience to periheral roads within the county including the M50 in particular between the N7 and N4 and further connections and possible alternative routes will be determined through the review of the NTA’s GDA Strategy and in consultation with TII and relevant local authorities. In any such route a primary objective of South Dublin County Council shall be to protect environmentally sensitive areas including the scenic Liffey Valley parklands, and amenities at Lucan Demesne and St Catherine’s Park and Lucan Village and no proposals to continue a road over these lands will be considered.
CE Recommendation: It is recommended that this motion is not adopted.