An attempt to preserve the amenity zoning of Phoenix Park Racecourse failed at Fingal County Council yesterday. The move means the former racetrack will almost certainly be developed for residential and commercial uses.
The change in the zoning from amenity use to residential and commercial was included in the Fingal Development Plan at the behest of the county manager, Mr William Soffe. The move angered local residents who formed the Phoenix Park Racecourse Protection Association and lobbied councillors to vote down the manager's recommendation.
However, the residents yesterday heard their arguments defeated by a majority of councillors who accepted the manager's advice that the racecourse was an acceptable location for housing, especially in the light of the housing crisis. The racecourse was, he argued, in an area well served by public transport and had the capacity for development. Thirty per cent of the lands would be retained as open space, he added.
However, Ms Joan Burton (Labour) one of the proposers of the motion to rescind the recommended change in zoning, said there was no playground in the area which accommodates 65,000 people.
