‘Mulhuddart/Clonsilla area shortchanged in Council Annual Works Plan – Dennison’

Friday, June 20, 2008

Dublin West Fine Gael Representative Kieran Dennison has hit out at the poor deal the Mulhuddart Area has received from the 2008 Council Works Programme.

Two thirds of the package worth €3.9m will be spent in Castleknock and only one third in the Mulhuddart electoral area. Mr. Dennison, who has just been appointed one of the party’s local representatives in the area, says he “felt that local Councillors had failed the Mulhuddart Ward and had some explaining to do”.

Of the 26 Special Roads Contribution Schemes totalling €1.1million, only 4 are in Mulhuddart with a spend of €135,000. Castleknock will benefit from 18 footpath improvement schemes as against 11 for the Mulhuddart Electoral Area. Similarly, 2 of the 3 new pedestrian crossings will be provided in the Castleknock area along with 7 of the 10 new lighting projects. Of the 9 Flood Relief projects only 2 will be in Mulhuddart.

Under the Parks Program the Council will spend €183,000 in Castleknock on improvements to open spaces such as railings, footpaths and lighting and provision of new playgrounds leaving a measly €50,000 for all of Mulhuddart, Clonsilla, Ongar, Tyrrellstown and Clonee.

Kieran Dennison asked “where were the FF and left wing Mulhuddart Councillors when this largesse was being handed out”. He noted that a Castleknock Councillor was quoted in a recent issue of Community Voice as “being very pleased with the programme as it contains a large number of projects that I have sought funding for”. He said that “while the roads and footpaths in Castleknock were getting higher and higher from resurfacing, residents in Mulhuddart had to settle for broken pavements and endure gridlock from outdated signalling at traffic lights. Meanwhile another €100,000 is being allocated to ‘look into’ changing the wasteful one way system on the Clonsilla Road

At €3.9 million the Castleknock/Mulhuddart area received the lowest allocation from the total of €13.3 million the Council will spend on the Scheme in its Local Areas. This is in spite of the fact that the area generates the greater proportion of Fingal’s income. In a parting shot Dennison added “It seems that areas with a Fine Gael Councillor such as Castleknock, Malahide and Swords are getting much better representation, perhaps it’s time Mulhuddart had one as well”.

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Weavers Walk Planning Application

Thursday, June 12, 2008


A planning application (Ref F08A/0642) for a Temporary Park and Ride Facility has been submitted to Fingal County Council. Located behind the Funeral Home and Filling Station, it will be accessed through the narrow Weavers Walk opposite the Clonsilla Link Road. The facility will accommodate 280 cars, almost twice the size of the car park at Coolmine.

This is a private venture and will do nothing to alleviate the chaotic parking in the vicinity of Clonsilla Rail Station. Most commuters will continue to avail of free parking in nearby estates and roads. In fact it is likely to make things worse as hundreds more cars descend on the Clonsilla Road in the mornings and queue up to get in. Those unable to find space will simply dump their vehicles wherever is most convenient before running for the Train. As well as the congestion and pollution, there will be the usual problems with litter and vandalism just like Coolmine.

The facility is to be a temporary one and presumably will be built on eventually so it’s likely those using the park will seek to continue parking elsewhere in the area.

On Monday Fingal County Council publishes its long awaited Clonsilla Urban Centre Strategy. This report will suggest that a park & ride facility “would attract further extraneous traffic and degrade the Village”. I hope the planners will take this into account when making their decision.
Incidentally the report has labelled the site as “Opportunity Site 2” with potential for 48 residential units comprising 18 x 2 bed apartments, 27 x 3 bed houses and 3 x 4 bed houses.

You may make your own views known to the council’s planning officials, by means of a written observation. This is a simple letter giving your name, your address, the file number and your views on the proposed development. It must be received by the council no later than Thursday June 26th and a €20 planning fee must be included for it to be valid.

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Councillors Angry Over Impact Of Transport Authority

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Fianna Fail and Green’s New Dublin Transportation Authority Aims To Maximise High Density Development 1 km along Railway and Metro West. From The Irish Times.

Councillors angry over impact of transport authority

THE New Dublin Transportation Authority (DTA), due to start work in January 2009, will have the power to veto planning applications, direct local authority spending and instruct authorities to compulsorily purchase land, Dublin City councillors have been told.

Councillors reacted angrily yesterday to a report from the city’s director of traffic, Michael Phillips, about the impact of the DTA on the council’s powers, and said the DTA was seeking to interfere unduly in council business without giving councillors adequate representation.
Councillors will not be represented on the board of the DTA. Two councillors from the Dublin Regional Authority will be represented on an advisory council to the DTA. However, councillors from the four Dublin local authorities will be vying for these positions.

Mr Phillips told councillors the DTA would be able to stop the council from granting planning permission if it felt the objectives of the DTA would be compromised.
The DTA would also be able to make amendments to the city development plan.
Currently, only councillors can amend the development plan.
The DTA could tell the council where to site bus stops, cycling facilities or parking within the city.

It could also direct the council to compulsorily purchase lands and carry out works, and will be able to step in and carry out work if the council fails to do so.
This could mean that if the DTA decided a quality bus corridor was to be created, the council could be ordered to acquire people’s front gardens, Tim O’Sullivan, executive manager in the council’s traffic department, said.

The DTA will also have an input into the council’s finances, and will be able to direct the council as to how it must spend revenue collected from such sources as parking meters.

Fine Gael were the only major party to vote against this legislation in the Dail.

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