Kellystown Variation (Rezoning)

As you may know, Fingal County Council has voted by 12 to 10 in favour of the variation to rezone the Kellystown lands. Four of the seven councillors from Dublin 15 supported the variation.

The Kellystown Variation, as adopted by the Council, provides for

• 60 acres of residential zoned land along the railway line
• 79 acres of amenity and parkland along the Luttrellstown Road
• 7 acres for a suburban centre (mixed-use development)
• Reserved sites for one secondary school, two primary schools, a community/sports centre, a graveyard and new grounds for St Mochta’s FC

It is a legally binding requirement of the variation that no residential development may take place until the secondary, first primary school, community/recreation centre, distributor road and the new canal and railing way bridge at Clonsilla are up and running (Objective KN9)

Prior to any residential development taking place, the Council must also agree and vote on a Local Area Plan (LAP) which will deal with issues such as housing design and density and public transport provision for the new development (Objective KN7)

As I am not a member of the Council, I did not have a vote on this issue. However, my local Fine Gael colleague Cllr. Eithne Loftus voted in favour for the following reasons:

1. To secure the much needed school sites, parkland and facilities for the community
2. Because 248 of the 282 submissions made by members of public supported the variation
3. The opponents of the variation were unable to come up with a viable alternative proposal to secure these amenities for the public
4. To secure, for the first time, a genuine publicly owned greenbelt which will stretch from Shackelton’s Gardens in Clonsilla to the grounds of Castleknock Hurling Football Club near the M50 providing a barrier to further development between Castleknock and Clonsilla and the Liffey Valley and Luttrellstown Demesne to the south
5. The eventual development of the lands along the railway is inevitable due to their proximity to the railway and the new powers given by the government to the Dublin Transport Authority to overrule the zoning decisions of councillors

There will be no residential development on these lands for a very long time. However, Leo Varadkar TD and I will put maximum pressure on the government to acquire the newly reserved school sites and to now proceed with their development without further delay.

If I am elected to the Council, I will use my influence and that of my party to ensure that improved train services, the long-promised train station at Porterstown, the graveyard and parkland is delivered in phases alongside the residential development when the Local Area Plan (LAP) for Kellystown comes up for discussion. This integrated planning approach was used in Adamstown and Hansfield and should be used in Kellystown as well. I will also do my best to ensure that the development that is permitted is well-designed and appropriate for a suburban area such as Dublin 15. I will be in contact with you to invite you to discuss the LAP with me as soon as a draft is prepared by the Council.