COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF CLONDALKIN, NEWCASTLE, RATHCOOLE, SAGGART AND BRITTAS AREA COMMITTEE

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

MOTION NO. 7

MOTION: Councillor W. Carey

That this Area Committee agrees that, due to the extensive works due to be carried out in the Alpine estate of Clondalkin which will include the building of an age friendly housing project along with works from Bord Gais who have declared are expected to continue until December 2025, that a site entrance shall be opened directly onto the Fonthill Rd to facilitate traffic management here. the committee also agrees that a failure to do so will lead directly to unacceptable dangers being placed upon those traversing along the main street of Alpine Heights estate, it is also unacceptable that two major construction projects should proceed without a traffic management plan that will make as priority the wellbeing and welfare of the existing community here.

REPORT:

Regarding the planned housing development of 13 age-friendly homes at Alpine Heights, the Council's assessment of the site indicates that the existing estate roads has sufficient capacity to safely accommodate the levels of construction traffic movement anticipated which will be consistent with other recent projects of a similar nature such as Bradys Court. Furthermore the successful contractor will be required to draw-up and implement a site specific safety plan and a traffic management plan to assess any anticipated risks from traffic movement and put in place measures required to eliminate any risks identified. An agreed construction management plan will be put in place to ensure the proper management of construction materials deliveries and exports from site.  Temporary traffic management plans (TMPs) will be part of the day to day running of the construction site. These TMPs will be supported with adequate marshalling of site deliveries and exports  to and from the site.  The safety assessments to be carried out by the successful contractor will consider the combined impacts of the housing development and the ongoing Gas Networks Ireland works and will determine the appropriate measures to be taken to ensure safe delivery of the project and adequate protection of existing residential amenity.

In relation to the request to open up a temporary access from the site to the R113 Fonthill road:  There is a raised verge for a section of the R113 which prevents an access being formed here.  This facilitates a bus lane and bus gate along the R113 at the most southern section of the green.  There is a cycle lane and public footpath along the R113 which would be temporarily severed by a site entrance.

There is a line of mature trees along the boundary of the green and the R113.  Any cut through of an access may require the removal of trees or affect the root system of some trees.

There is a significant length of green space (75m) between Fonthill road and the proposed site.  If an access road were built, this green would need to be dug to firm formation level.  The top soil would need to be removed from site, stored somewhere and then brought back to reinstate the green.  The alternative is to make a mound of it in the green until it is reused taking up additional amenity area. The access road would need the import of 100's of tonnes of stone for a temporary basis.  Then when construction is finished this stone needs dug up and the top soil reinstated and seeded.  The seeding of the green will take a significant time to thicken up again.  This affects the amenity use of the green space for a significant time.

The surrounding road network will be kept clean by regular wetting and brushing.  Airbourne dust will be suppressed in the summer time with site sprinkling and the covering of dust containing building products.