The future of Dublin Port and Dublin Bay is to be put out to public consultation by Dublin City Council next month as the first phase in the development of a master plan for the area.
The Strategic Framework Plan for the Bay Area will set out what the council considers are the best options for the bay, including the future uses and location of Dublin Port.
Issues such as the environmental and recreational amenity of the area, the city's housing needs and the business and economic importance of the port will all be considered.
Public consultation will begin at the end of January, with a report due before the council at its June meeting. The framework plan will then form part of the Dublin City Development Plan and will guide planning applications for the port and bay areas.
Councillors hope the plan will end disputes over the future location of Dublin Port. The Dublin Port Company is seeking to expand the port on its existing site by reclaiming 50 acres of the bay. However, there are also plans to move the port from the city, with PD transport spokesman Tom Morrissey promoting the relocation of the port to Bremore in north Co Dublin.
The council is encouraging non-port related activities in the area with the development of major housing developments in the Poolbeg area. Public consultation is also likely to result in proposals on the industrial and infrastructural developments in the area such as the Poolbeg sewage plant and incinerator.
Sinn Féin councillor and committee member Daithí Doolan said the plan would be the first attempt in Ireland to establish parameters for the development of coastal regions.
