COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

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

Wednesday, December 17, 2025

MOTION NO. 3

MOTION: Councillor W. Carey

That this Area Committee calls upon SDCC to enter into meaningful engagement to resolve issues pertaining to boundary treatment between Ashwood Estate and the new Canal Extension site.

REPORT:

Since construction commenced in November 2023, The council and our contractor’s project manager have engaged extensively with residents of Ashwood Road and Ashwood Drive whose homes adjoin the Canal Bank development. This engagement has included numerous site visits by council officials and the contractor, direct meetings with affected residents and extensive written and telephone correspondence to address concerns raised throughout the construction process.

As a result of these sustained efforts, a significant number of design changes and boundary improvements were agreed with residents and have now been delivered. These works include the installation of new post-and-panel fencing, which in some cases incorporated additional back garden space, as well as the raising of walls within the new development to enhance the privacy for residents in the existing houses. The new boundary fencing was installed along the line of the existing walls rather than adding further height to the original boundary walls. This approach was taken on the advice of our architects and engineering team, as increasing the height of older walls could have undermined their structural integrity. This was the most feasible option, providing the best achievable privacy without affecting structural or safety requirements.

At the request of residents, several trees along the shared boundary were also removed. Any remaining stumps have been treated to prevent regrowth and have been overlaid with stones to ensure a tidy and stable finish. With boundary treatments largely in place and landscaping works now close to completion, the visual outlook from the Ashwood estate will continue to improve as the project transitions from construction to its finished state. 

Throughout this process, a range of additional options—such as the introduction of hedging—were also explored in good faith. While some alternatives were not taken forward due to concerns expressed by residents, every reasonable effort was made to accommodate requests where feasible. It is also important to note that not all residents invited to discuss boundary treatments chose to engage with the local authority.

We will re-engage with residents whose boundary treatments remain outstanding to discuss and agree possible solutions. However, previously agreed and implemented measures will not be revisited. There are practical limits to what can be achieved within a residential development. While every reasonable and proportionate step has been taken to enhance privacy, it is not feasible—within the constraints of planning, engineering, and the established layout of both estates—to deliver an absolute level of privacy beyond what is typical or achievable in urban housing developments.

We will continue to engage constructively with residents to ensure that the final boundary arrangements are appropriate and consistent with planning and design standards, while balancing the needs of both existing and new residents.