Local rift as council to vote on Monkstown ring road

A filled public gallery is expected at Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council tonight as members vote on a proposal to go ahead with the Monkstown ring road.

Groups in favour and those opposed to the proposed road have said they will be present as county manager Owen Keegan formally seeks councillors' backing for the project.

In June, An Bord Pleanála approved the 1.2km (¾ mile) road linking the Stradbrook area of Blackrock to Stillorgan Park, involving the demolition of some 16 homes, including the entire 11-house Yankee Terrace.

The road has been in planning since the early 1970s but was dropped a number of times and restored to the development plan about five years ago.

The council said the road would take traffic from less suitable roads on to a safer, 50km/h speed limit, distributor road.

It said this would open up pedestrian and cycle links between Blackrock, Newtown Park and Stillorgan. However, residents in Brookville Park and Rowanbyrn, among others, have said the road will carry large volumes of traffic from redevelopment areas in Stillorgan as well as large trucks from Dún Laoghaire port.

Spokesman Seán Mulvihill said the report from an inspector with An Bord Pleanála accepted these points "and couldn't find a single ground on which to approve the project".

The board rejected the inspector's conclusion.

Mr Mulvihill said that since An Bord Pleanála decided to approve the project, locals have been lobbying councillors to veto it.

However, in recent weeks those in favour of the road have mounted a campaign of their own, telling councillors the road must proceed.

Included in the latter group are Yankee Terrace homeowners who say they want an end to the uncertainty which has prevented them from selling their homes.

The group also includes residents of Newtown Park and surrounding roads who are seeking a reduction in the volume of traffic using roads in their areas.

Marcella Hourihane, who owns a house on Yankee Terrace, said she had written to each county councillor asking them to support the plan.

Ms Hourihane told The Irish Times that at least seven of the 11 homeowners on the terrace wanted the proposal to go ahead.

"We have been unable to do anything with our homes. We were advised not to do them up and we can't sell them. We want an end to this."

Ms Hourihane said she believed the road was necessary to relieve congestion in the area.

A spokeswoman for the council said yesterday the road reservation had been in place for more than 30 years and nobody had attempted to challenge An Bord Pleanála's ruling by way of judicial review.

The road would promote and strengthen the prime retail and commercial centres of Dún Laoghaire and Stillorgan by improving accessibility and linkages between the two areas, she added.