Property developers would not be given "carte blanche" to do what they liked in the Adamstown area of Lucan, members of South Dublin County Council were assured yesterday. Environment Editor Frank McDonald reports.
Mr Kieran Kennedy, the council's planning director, was responding to just one of a raft of motions tabled by Cllr Derek Keating (Ind) and Cllr Fintan McCarthy (Green Party) seeking the incorporation of further restrictions into the Adamstown plan.
Mr Kennedy said he recognised the "major concerns" of people in Lucan over the potential traffic and flooding implications of building up to 10,000 new homes in the area and he insisted that these concerns would be taken on board by the planners.
In response to a motion by Mr Keating and Mr McCarthy seeking an environmental impact statement (EIS) on the plan, Mr Kennedy said this was not required by legislation. Instead, the development would be carefully monitored as it progressed.
Mr Keating said only people living in Lucan would realise the extent of traffic gridlock in the area. With no firm indication that public transport would be provided to serve the scheme, he said it was a case of "no infrastructure, no Adamstown".
However, the planners agreed to make 40 amendments to the draft plan in response to submissions from the public and from councillors.
These included the establishment of a steering group to oversee its implementation over 10 years.
It was also made clear that the planners would be able to request an EIS on any element of the scheme and that the public would have a right to object to individual planning applications, though without recourse to An Bord Pleanála.
This is because Adamstown has been designated as a strategic development zone (SDZ) under the 2000 Planning Act. However, appeals may be made to the board after the council adopts the plan, which it must do by next Monday.
The county manager, Mr Joe Horan, said it was "a fantastic plan" which was also workable. It would be supported by such measures as a mobility plan for the county which would look at ways to make better use of the available road space.
It was pointed out that Adamstown would not move beyond its first phase unless a railway station was built to serve the scheme, while new quality bus corridors, shopping and school facilities would also be required.