THE €100 million-plus redevelopment of the Curragh racecourse in Co Kildare has finally been approved by An Bord Pleanála more than two years after permission for the development was first sought by the Irish Turf Club.
In what has been described by the Turf Club as the biggest development project in the history of Irish racing, the racecourse will be transformed to accommodate more than 50,000 spectators by 2010 on a 10-hectare site.
The main features of the new development are a five-storey grandstand incorporating a museum, bars, restaurants and tote halls; the redevelopment of the Stand House Hotel; a new parade ring; and a new champagne bar. Work is due to begin at the end of this year's racing season in September and is planned for completion in 2010.
The developments were applied for under two separate applications, one relating to the grandstand and hotel, the other to the parade ring and associated structures. In total, 24 conditions were imposed on the Turf Club by the planning board - however, several overlap and are unlikely to delay development.
The Turf Club sought permission for the redevelopment from Kildare County Council in February 2006. This was granted in October 2006, but was appealed to An Bord Pleanála by local farmer Percy Podger on behalf of Friends of the Curragh Environment.
Mr Podger contended the planning application was fundamentally flawed and the council's decision was made "on foot of an invalid application, and the site notice and newspaper notice were incomplete and consequently invalid". He said the environmental impact statement was inadequate, while car parking was on a national monument site and contravened grazing rights.
Mr Podger has taken legal action against this and other developments related to the racecourse and has made a complaint to the European Commission against the Irish planning authorities, the State, the applicants and the council regarding the breach of European Commission directives.
When contacted yesterday, Mr Podger said he had not yet had an opportunity to read An Bord Pleanála's decision and so was not in a position to comment.
Chief executive of the Turf Club Denis Egan said the club stewards and the Curragh Development Committee were in the process of examining the board's decision but were glad they could finally schedule a works programme for the redevelopment. "We are very eager to get going on this. It is going to be the biggest redevelopment project ever undertaken in the history of Irish racing," he said.
The delays had added considerably to the costs of the project, which had been estimated at €100 million. The full cost of the project would be calculated after the conditions of the planning permission were taken into consideration.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Saturday, 1 March 2008
Curragh racecourse redevelopment gets go-ahead from Bord Pleanála
THE €100 million-plus redevelopment of the Curragh racecourse in Co Kildare has finally been approved by An Bord Pleanála more than two years after permission for the development was first sought by the Irish Turf Club.
In what has been described by the Turf Club as the biggest development project in the history of Irish racing, the racecourse will be transformed to accommodate more than 50,000 spectators by 2010 on a 10-hectare site.
The main features of the new development are a five-storey grandstand incorporating a museum, bars, restaurants and tote halls; the redevelopment of the Stand House Hotel; a new parade ring; and a new champagne bar. Work is due to begin at the end of this year's racing season in September and is planned for completion in 2010.
The developments were applied for under two separate applications, one relating to the grandstand and hotel, the other to the parade ring and associated structures. In total, 24 conditions were imposed on the Turf Club by the planning board - however, several overlap and are unlikely to delay development.
The Turf Club sought permission for the redevelopment from Kildare County Council in February 2006. This was granted in October 2006, but was appealed to An Bord Pleanála by local farmer Percy Podger on behalf of Friends of the Curragh Environment.
Mr Podger contended the planning application was fundamentally flawed and the council's decision was made "on foot of an invalid application, and the site notice and newspaper notice were incomplete and consequently invalid". He said the environmental impact statement was inadequate, while car parking was on a national monument site and contravened grazing rights.
Mr Podger has taken legal action against this and other developments related to the racecourse and has made a complaint to the European Commission against the Irish planning authorities, the State, the applicants and the council regarding the breach of European Commission directives.
When contacted yesterday, Mr Podger said he had not yet had an opportunity to read An Bord Pleanála's decision and so was not in a position to comment.
Chief executive of the Turf Club Denis Egan said the club stewards and the Curragh Development Committee were in the process of examining the board's decision but were glad they could finally schedule a works programme for the redevelopment. "We are very eager to get going on this. It is going to be the biggest redevelopment project ever undertaken in the history of Irish racing," he said.
The delays had added considerably to the costs of the project, which had been estimated at €100 million. The full cost of the project would be calculated after the conditions of the planning permission were taken into consideration.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
In what has been described by the Turf Club as the biggest development project in the history of Irish racing, the racecourse will be transformed to accommodate more than 50,000 spectators by 2010 on a 10-hectare site.
The main features of the new development are a five-storey grandstand incorporating a museum, bars, restaurants and tote halls; the redevelopment of the Stand House Hotel; a new parade ring; and a new champagne bar. Work is due to begin at the end of this year's racing season in September and is planned for completion in 2010.
The developments were applied for under two separate applications, one relating to the grandstand and hotel, the other to the parade ring and associated structures. In total, 24 conditions were imposed on the Turf Club by the planning board - however, several overlap and are unlikely to delay development.
The Turf Club sought permission for the redevelopment from Kildare County Council in February 2006. This was granted in October 2006, but was appealed to An Bord Pleanála by local farmer Percy Podger on behalf of Friends of the Curragh Environment.
Mr Podger contended the planning application was fundamentally flawed and the council's decision was made "on foot of an invalid application, and the site notice and newspaper notice were incomplete and consequently invalid". He said the environmental impact statement was inadequate, while car parking was on a national monument site and contravened grazing rights.
Mr Podger has taken legal action against this and other developments related to the racecourse and has made a complaint to the European Commission against the Irish planning authorities, the State, the applicants and the council regarding the breach of European Commission directives.
When contacted yesterday, Mr Podger said he had not yet had an opportunity to read An Bord Pleanála's decision and so was not in a position to comment.
Chief executive of the Turf Club Denis Egan said the club stewards and the Curragh Development Committee were in the process of examining the board's decision but were glad they could finally schedule a works programme for the redevelopment. "We are very eager to get going on this. It is going to be the biggest redevelopment project ever undertaken in the history of Irish racing," he said.
The delays had added considerably to the costs of the project, which had been estimated at €100 million. The full cost of the project would be calculated after the conditions of the planning permission were taken into consideration.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Cork commuter rail link winsplanning achievement award
A CORK County Council project to develop the first new railway lines in the State in more than 100 years has taken the top prize in this year's Irish Planning Institute (IPI) National Planning Awards.
The plan to construct a suburban rail network for Cork received the IPI Planning Achievement Award, and was one of four projects recognised by the institute for their contribution to the quality of life in urban and rural areas.
The council's project is the result of 30 years of transport planning in the city and is due to begin running its first trains next year.
The IPI judging team said the new service would result in the "revitalisation of a number of key towns and villages while promoting the move to more sustainable modes of transport".
The Urban Design Award went to Murray O'Laoire Architects for the Athlone Town Centre. The town had fallen into decline and had become isolated over the years, but the new town centre development which encompassed retail, residential and public spaces, had transformed the town with a "new urban quarter of exceptional architectural quality and coherence," the IPI said.
The recently redeveloped Custom House Quay (CHQ)building in Dublin's docklands received the Conservation Award. The protected structure, originally a bonded warehouse built in 1852, was reopened last November by Dublin Docklands Development Authority following a €50 million redevelopment.
The project had saved a building that was close to dereliction and had helped revitalise George's Quay in what was an "outstanding conservation project of national historical and architectural importance", the institute said.
The Participatory Planning Award, which recognises public bodies who involved the public in new developments went to Kinvara Community Council for its Integrated Area Plan. Public participation had been at the "very root" of the project for the redevelopment of the area, the IPI said.
Certificates of merit were presented in each of the categories. Planning Achievement certificates went to O'Mahony Pike for the North Drogheda Environs Masterplan and to South Dublin County Council for the Tallaght Integrated Area Plan 1999-2008.
An Urban Design certificate went to the National Building Agency and Cork City Council for the Special Needs and Social Housing and Artists' Residence and Studio, Shandon, Cork.
A Conservation certificate was awarded to Cork County Council for the Guidance Note for the Appraisal of Historic Gardens, Demesnes, Estates and their Settings. A Participatory Planning certificate was won by South Dublin County Council for the Lucan Village Design Statement.
The Cork rail project will now go forward as Ireland's entry in the European Planning Awards which this year will be hosted by the IPI and take place in Dublin Castle in October.
Speaking at the awards, Minister for the Environment John Gormley said the awards highlighted the high quality that could be achieved in planning.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The plan to construct a suburban rail network for Cork received the IPI Planning Achievement Award, and was one of four projects recognised by the institute for their contribution to the quality of life in urban and rural areas.
The council's project is the result of 30 years of transport planning in the city and is due to begin running its first trains next year.
The IPI judging team said the new service would result in the "revitalisation of a number of key towns and villages while promoting the move to more sustainable modes of transport".
The Urban Design Award went to Murray O'Laoire Architects for the Athlone Town Centre. The town had fallen into decline and had become isolated over the years, but the new town centre development which encompassed retail, residential and public spaces, had transformed the town with a "new urban quarter of exceptional architectural quality and coherence," the IPI said.
The recently redeveloped Custom House Quay (CHQ)building in Dublin's docklands received the Conservation Award. The protected structure, originally a bonded warehouse built in 1852, was reopened last November by Dublin Docklands Development Authority following a €50 million redevelopment.
The project had saved a building that was close to dereliction and had helped revitalise George's Quay in what was an "outstanding conservation project of national historical and architectural importance", the institute said.
The Participatory Planning Award, which recognises public bodies who involved the public in new developments went to Kinvara Community Council for its Integrated Area Plan. Public participation had been at the "very root" of the project for the redevelopment of the area, the IPI said.
Certificates of merit were presented in each of the categories. Planning Achievement certificates went to O'Mahony Pike for the North Drogheda Environs Masterplan and to South Dublin County Council for the Tallaght Integrated Area Plan 1999-2008.
An Urban Design certificate went to the National Building Agency and Cork City Council for the Special Needs and Social Housing and Artists' Residence and Studio, Shandon, Cork.
A Conservation certificate was awarded to Cork County Council for the Guidance Note for the Appraisal of Historic Gardens, Demesnes, Estates and their Settings. A Participatory Planning certificate was won by South Dublin County Council for the Lucan Village Design Statement.
The Cork rail project will now go forward as Ireland's entry in the European Planning Awards which this year will be hosted by the IPI and take place in Dublin Castle in October.
Speaking at the awards, Minister for the Environment John Gormley said the awards highlighted the high quality that could be achieved in planning.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
A city of nightlife and wildlife
We often think that we have to go beyond a city's boundaries to experience the joys of nature. But with almost 50 per cent of Dublin made up of green spaces - 25 per cent in private gardens and 20 per cent in public parks - this is not the case with the capital, writes Sylvia Thompson .
"People take for granted what they can see in their gardens and in the parks of the city, and raising awareness of the biodiversity in the city is something we will be concentrating on over the next five years," says Mairéad Stack, biodiversity officer with Dublin City Council.
The recent publication of the Dublin City Biodiversity Action Plan 2008 - 2012 is a marker of the council's commitment to conserving and protecting wildlife in the city.
And a glance at the priority species, habitats and natural heritage in the report is a wake-up call to all urban-dwellers to the natural wonders on their doorsteps.
For instance, bats are a priority species. "Ireland is a refuge for bats and eight of the 10 species in this country can be found in Dublin," explains Stack. Keen to dispel myths about mammal, including that they fly into your hair, she instead reminds us that a bat will eat up to 3,500 midges in one evening.
"It's also important to remember that bats are what's called a 'keystone' species in that when we have bats, we also have the insects and the semi-natural grasslands that support them," says Stack.
THE GRASSLANDS ARE another priority. Found on parts of North Bull Island, they have aesthetic and ecological significance due to the variety of grasses and wildflowers they contain.
North Bull Island and other areas along Dublin Bay are birdwatchers' paradises if you consider the huge numbers of waterbirds that winter there.
In fact, 6,000 wildfowl, 24,000 waders and 6,000 gulls, are among the many waterbirds that spend the winter months along the north Dublin coastline.
Dublin Bay is also visited by up to 12,000 roosting terns from late July to early September. A management plan to protect the wetlands on North Bull Island, and the species it supports, is another key feature of the plan.
Wildlife expert Eanna Ní Lamhna says Dublin has an abundance of wonderful habitats and species that people don't know about.
In her forthcoming book, Wild Dublin (O'Brien Press), she encourages people to take trips by Dart to visit coastline areas, to walk along the canal and river banks and to wander through one of the 120 parks that are inside the M50.
"There are 32 species of mammals in Ireland and you'll find 28 of them in Dublin city," she explains. "For instance, people sometimes talk about seeing a fox walking up Grafton Street in the middle of the night, which is probably one of those living in the provost's garden in Trinity College on his way up to St Stephen's Green."
Foxes are now more common in the city than in the country, with an average density of one fox family group per square kilometre. Some areas have four to five times that density. Fox dens are commonly found in gardens, under sheds and in wrecked cars.
Ní Lamhna also points to other interesting mammals that are perhaps harder to spot as they shy away from humans.
"There are rabbits and hares, stoats and badgers in the city. And those fishing in the morning and evening times will see otters in the Tolka, Dodder and Liffey rivers," she adds.
Moving into the heart of the city, Ní Lamhna suggests Blessington Basin, which is about 10 minutes walk north of O'Connell Street, as a fascinating haven for wildlife.
"It's a wildlife park with a pond in it which is a tributary from the Royal Canal," she explains. "You'll find tufted duck breeding there and if you're really quiet, you might see a hedgehog. And you'll find two-spotted ladybirds there which are city ladybirds and smaller than the seven-spotted ladybirds that you'll find in the countryside."
ANOTHER SURPRISING wildlife hotspot is Gallanstown Basin in Park West business complex. "It holds a pocket of important wildlife and is a great source of entertainment for the office workers," says Stack. "There is a pair of swans who nest there and there is a high density of the glutinous snail, which has been wiped out across Europe. Also, the settling pond is a wonderful wetland, which is home to nesting birds and waterfowl and 40 species of plants and flowers including orchids."
Urban wetlands are also priority habitats in the action plan.
As well as getting out and enjoying nature in the city, Dublin's inhabitants will have many opportunities to get involved in protecting the plants, animals, fish (salmon and trout species feature on the priority species list) and the places they live in over the next five years.
"We still don't know half the species we have and don't have in the city," says Stack. "And we will be conducting surveys to monitor the loss of species. For instance, this year, we will monitor butterfly species and numbers in Dublin. Butterflies are an indicator species for climate change and habitat change, so our survey will show any changes in the distribution across the city and the impacts of climate change and habitat change."
Fourteen of the 32 species of butterflies in Ireland can be found in Dublin. Finally, back to the private gardens, which is where most people enjoy brief moments of watching birds, butterflies and other insects.
If you're keen to encourage more wildlife into your garden, check out how to maintain a wildlife-friendly area on the biodiversity section of the council's website, www.dublincity.ie
WATCHING CITY WILDLIFE
Ladybirds
Most ladybirds have seven spots, but in gardens in Dublin city there is a smaller species which has only two spots. Most people think these ladybirds are baby ladybirds that will grow up to have seven spots but they are, in fact, a different species.
Orchids
These fragile and beautiful flowers can be found in semi-natural grasslands in various parts of Dublin city, including North Bull Island.
Red squirrels
Up to 30 years ago in Dublin, red squirrels were commonplace. Since then, the large grey squirrels have taken over and red squirrels can now only be found in parts of Killiney, Dalkey and in St Anne's Park, Raheny.
Dolphins and seals
Bottlenose dolphins and harbour porpoises can be seen in the liffey close to Dublin Port. Grey seals are a familiar sight in Dun Laoighre and common seals breed on Bull Island.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
"People take for granted what they can see in their gardens and in the parks of the city, and raising awareness of the biodiversity in the city is something we will be concentrating on over the next five years," says Mairéad Stack, biodiversity officer with Dublin City Council.
The recent publication of the Dublin City Biodiversity Action Plan 2008 - 2012 is a marker of the council's commitment to conserving and protecting wildlife in the city.
And a glance at the priority species, habitats and natural heritage in the report is a wake-up call to all urban-dwellers to the natural wonders on their doorsteps.
For instance, bats are a priority species. "Ireland is a refuge for bats and eight of the 10 species in this country can be found in Dublin," explains Stack. Keen to dispel myths about mammal, including that they fly into your hair, she instead reminds us that a bat will eat up to 3,500 midges in one evening.
"It's also important to remember that bats are what's called a 'keystone' species in that when we have bats, we also have the insects and the semi-natural grasslands that support them," says Stack.
THE GRASSLANDS ARE another priority. Found on parts of North Bull Island, they have aesthetic and ecological significance due to the variety of grasses and wildflowers they contain.
North Bull Island and other areas along Dublin Bay are birdwatchers' paradises if you consider the huge numbers of waterbirds that winter there.
In fact, 6,000 wildfowl, 24,000 waders and 6,000 gulls, are among the many waterbirds that spend the winter months along the north Dublin coastline.
Dublin Bay is also visited by up to 12,000 roosting terns from late July to early September. A management plan to protect the wetlands on North Bull Island, and the species it supports, is another key feature of the plan.
Wildlife expert Eanna Ní Lamhna says Dublin has an abundance of wonderful habitats and species that people don't know about.
In her forthcoming book, Wild Dublin (O'Brien Press), she encourages people to take trips by Dart to visit coastline areas, to walk along the canal and river banks and to wander through one of the 120 parks that are inside the M50.
"There are 32 species of mammals in Ireland and you'll find 28 of them in Dublin city," she explains. "For instance, people sometimes talk about seeing a fox walking up Grafton Street in the middle of the night, which is probably one of those living in the provost's garden in Trinity College on his way up to St Stephen's Green."
Foxes are now more common in the city than in the country, with an average density of one fox family group per square kilometre. Some areas have four to five times that density. Fox dens are commonly found in gardens, under sheds and in wrecked cars.
Ní Lamhna also points to other interesting mammals that are perhaps harder to spot as they shy away from humans.
"There are rabbits and hares, stoats and badgers in the city. And those fishing in the morning and evening times will see otters in the Tolka, Dodder and Liffey rivers," she adds.
Moving into the heart of the city, Ní Lamhna suggests Blessington Basin, which is about 10 minutes walk north of O'Connell Street, as a fascinating haven for wildlife.
"It's a wildlife park with a pond in it which is a tributary from the Royal Canal," she explains. "You'll find tufted duck breeding there and if you're really quiet, you might see a hedgehog. And you'll find two-spotted ladybirds there which are city ladybirds and smaller than the seven-spotted ladybirds that you'll find in the countryside."
ANOTHER SURPRISING wildlife hotspot is Gallanstown Basin in Park West business complex. "It holds a pocket of important wildlife and is a great source of entertainment for the office workers," says Stack. "There is a pair of swans who nest there and there is a high density of the glutinous snail, which has been wiped out across Europe. Also, the settling pond is a wonderful wetland, which is home to nesting birds and waterfowl and 40 species of plants and flowers including orchids."
Urban wetlands are also priority habitats in the action plan.
As well as getting out and enjoying nature in the city, Dublin's inhabitants will have many opportunities to get involved in protecting the plants, animals, fish (salmon and trout species feature on the priority species list) and the places they live in over the next five years.
"We still don't know half the species we have and don't have in the city," says Stack. "And we will be conducting surveys to monitor the loss of species. For instance, this year, we will monitor butterfly species and numbers in Dublin. Butterflies are an indicator species for climate change and habitat change, so our survey will show any changes in the distribution across the city and the impacts of climate change and habitat change."
Fourteen of the 32 species of butterflies in Ireland can be found in Dublin. Finally, back to the private gardens, which is where most people enjoy brief moments of watching birds, butterflies and other insects.
If you're keen to encourage more wildlife into your garden, check out how to maintain a wildlife-friendly area on the biodiversity section of the council's website, www.dublincity.ie
WATCHING CITY WILDLIFE
Ladybirds
Most ladybirds have seven spots, but in gardens in Dublin city there is a smaller species which has only two spots. Most people think these ladybirds are baby ladybirds that will grow up to have seven spots but they are, in fact, a different species.
Orchids
These fragile and beautiful flowers can be found in semi-natural grasslands in various parts of Dublin city, including North Bull Island.
Red squirrels
Up to 30 years ago in Dublin, red squirrels were commonplace. Since then, the large grey squirrels have taken over and red squirrels can now only be found in parts of Killiney, Dalkey and in St Anne's Park, Raheny.
Dolphins and seals
Bottlenose dolphins and harbour porpoises can be seen in the liffey close to Dublin Port. Grey seals are a familiar sight in Dun Laoighre and common seals breed on Bull Island.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Bord Pleanála gives green light to phase one of Dublin to Navan rail line
PHASE ONE of the reopening of the Dublin-Navan rail line has been granted planning permission by An Bord Pleanála, making it the first project approved under the new fast-track planning scheme for major infrastructural projects.
Iarnród Éireann applied for permission to reinstate the Clonsilla-Dunboyne section of the disused line last September. The board signed the railway order yesterday, one of the fastest turnaround times achieved for an infrastructural development in the board's history.
Rail, road, waste-management and energy-related applications have in recent decades taken several years to secure planning permission. However, the Strategic Infrastructure Act, which came into force last January, allows such applications to be handled directly by the board, rather than first having to be dealt with by local authorities.
This change significantly cuts the length of time taken to process applications. The fast-track approach to planning has been criticised for removing the local democracy element from the planning process; however, the board maintains that there is still public involvement, with oral hearings and the requirement of local authorities to submit a report, which includes the views of elected representatives, on any development occurring in their area.
The reopening of the Navan line is part of the Government's Transport 21 programme. The 7.5km stretch from Clonsilla to an interchange with the M3 at Pace near Dunboyne, is due to open in 2010, with stations at Hansfield, Dunboyne and Pace. There will also be a park-and-ride facility at the M3 interchange at Pace, with parking for up to 1,200 vehicles, making it the largest public transport park- and-ride facility in the country.
The journey from Pace to Dublin will be 33 minutes, with trains leaving every 15 minutes at peak times.
The remainder of the line to Navan town, a 21km stretch, is due to open in 2015. However, no planning permission has yet been sought for this stage of the development. The journey time to Dublin from Navan would be about one hour.
The Navan rail line closed in 1963, but trains have not stopped in Dunboyne since 1947. Iarnród Éireann chairman Dr John Lynch said yesterday that he was delighted with the decision.
"Together with the current four-tracking of the Kildare route, the recent start of work on the Cork-Midleton line reopening, the ongoing work on phase one of the Western Rail Corridor plans, not to mention Dart underground, we are on the brink of the most significant expansion of our rail network in 100 years."
An Taisce also welcomed the decision but said it was disappointing that the extension of the line to Navan had been put on the "long finger" and that the M3 motorway would be built ahead of the Navan rail link.
While hundreds of applications have been made by State organisations and private companies seeking to have their projects considered for fast-track planning decisions, just six other projects have been deemed eligible for the process and are awaiting decisions by An Bord Pleanála.
These are a natural gas-fired turbine at Toomes, Co Louth; a liquid natural gas plant in Co Kerry; a container terminal in Ringaskiddy, Co Cork; the west Dublin Luas connection from Belgard to Saggart; electricity lines in Galway, and electricity lines in Co Leitrim.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Iarnród Éireann applied for permission to reinstate the Clonsilla-Dunboyne section of the disused line last September. The board signed the railway order yesterday, one of the fastest turnaround times achieved for an infrastructural development in the board's history.
Rail, road, waste-management and energy-related applications have in recent decades taken several years to secure planning permission. However, the Strategic Infrastructure Act, which came into force last January, allows such applications to be handled directly by the board, rather than first having to be dealt with by local authorities.
This change significantly cuts the length of time taken to process applications. The fast-track approach to planning has been criticised for removing the local democracy element from the planning process; however, the board maintains that there is still public involvement, with oral hearings and the requirement of local authorities to submit a report, which includes the views of elected representatives, on any development occurring in their area.
The reopening of the Navan line is part of the Government's Transport 21 programme. The 7.5km stretch from Clonsilla to an interchange with the M3 at Pace near Dunboyne, is due to open in 2010, with stations at Hansfield, Dunboyne and Pace. There will also be a park-and-ride facility at the M3 interchange at Pace, with parking for up to 1,200 vehicles, making it the largest public transport park- and-ride facility in the country.
The journey from Pace to Dublin will be 33 minutes, with trains leaving every 15 minutes at peak times.
The remainder of the line to Navan town, a 21km stretch, is due to open in 2015. However, no planning permission has yet been sought for this stage of the development. The journey time to Dublin from Navan would be about one hour.
The Navan rail line closed in 1963, but trains have not stopped in Dunboyne since 1947. Iarnród Éireann chairman Dr John Lynch said yesterday that he was delighted with the decision.
"Together with the current four-tracking of the Kildare route, the recent start of work on the Cork-Midleton line reopening, the ongoing work on phase one of the Western Rail Corridor plans, not to mention Dart underground, we are on the brink of the most significant expansion of our rail network in 100 years."
An Taisce also welcomed the decision but said it was disappointing that the extension of the line to Navan had been put on the "long finger" and that the M3 motorway would be built ahead of the Navan rail link.
While hundreds of applications have been made by State organisations and private companies seeking to have their projects considered for fast-track planning decisions, just six other projects have been deemed eligible for the process and are awaiting decisions by An Bord Pleanála.
These are a natural gas-fired turbine at Toomes, Co Louth; a liquid natural gas plant in Co Kerry; a container terminal in Ringaskiddy, Co Cork; the west Dublin Luas connection from Belgard to Saggart; electricity lines in Galway, and electricity lines in Co Leitrim.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Bord Pleanála gives green light to phase one of Dublin to Navan rail line
PHASE ONE of the reopening of the Dublin-Navan rail line has been granted planning permission by An Bord Pleanála, making it the first project approved under the new fast-track planning scheme for major infrastructural projects.
Iarnród Éireann applied for permission to reinstate the Clonsilla-Dunboyne section of the disused line last September. The board signed the railway order yesterday, one of the fastest turnaround times achieved for an infrastructural development in the board's history.
Rail, road, waste-management and energy-related applications have in recent decades taken several years to secure planning permission. However, the Strategic Infrastructure Act, which came into force last January, allows such applications to be handled directly by the board, rather than first having to be dealt with by local authorities.
This change significantly cuts the length of time taken to process applications. The fast-track approach to planning has been criticised for removing the local democracy element from the planning process; however, the board maintains that there is still public involvement, with oral hearings and the requirement of local authorities to submit a report, which includes the views of elected representatives, on any development occurring in their area.
The reopening of the Navan line is part of the Government's Transport 21 programme. The 7.5km stretch from Clonsilla to an interchange with the M3 at Pace near Dunboyne, is due to open in 2010, with stations at Hansfield, Dunboyne and Pace. There will also be a park-and-ride facility at the M3 interchange at Pace, with parking for up to 1,200 vehicles, making it the largest public transport park- and-ride facility in the country.
The journey from Pace to Dublin will be 33 minutes, with trains leaving every 15 minutes at peak times.
The remainder of the line to Navan town, a 21km stretch, is due to open in 2015. However, no planning permission has yet been sought for this stage of the development. The journey time to Dublin from Navan would be about one hour.
The Navan rail line closed in 1963, but trains have not stopped in Dunboyne since 1947. Iarnród Éireann chairman Dr John Lynch said yesterday that he was delighted with the decision.
"Together with the current four-tracking of the Kildare route, the recent start of work on the Cork-Midleton line reopening, the ongoing work on phase one of the Western Rail Corridor plans, not to mention Dart underground, we are on the brink of the most significant expansion of our rail network in 100 years."
An Taisce also welcomed the decision but said it was disappointing that the extension of the line to Navan had been put on the "long finger" and that the M3 motorway would be built ahead of the Navan rail link.
While hundreds of applications have been made by State organisations and private companies seeking to have their projects considered for fast-track planning decisions, just six other projects have been deemed eligible for the process and are awaiting decisions by An Bord Pleanála.
These are a natural gas-fired turbine at Toomes, Co Louth; a liquid natural gas plant in Co Kerry; a container terminal in Ringaskiddy, Co Cork; the west Dublin Luas connection from Belgard to Saggart; electricity lines in Galway, and electricity lines in Co Leitrim.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Iarnród Éireann applied for permission to reinstate the Clonsilla-Dunboyne section of the disused line last September. The board signed the railway order yesterday, one of the fastest turnaround times achieved for an infrastructural development in the board's history.
Rail, road, waste-management and energy-related applications have in recent decades taken several years to secure planning permission. However, the Strategic Infrastructure Act, which came into force last January, allows such applications to be handled directly by the board, rather than first having to be dealt with by local authorities.
This change significantly cuts the length of time taken to process applications. The fast-track approach to planning has been criticised for removing the local democracy element from the planning process; however, the board maintains that there is still public involvement, with oral hearings and the requirement of local authorities to submit a report, which includes the views of elected representatives, on any development occurring in their area.
The reopening of the Navan line is part of the Government's Transport 21 programme. The 7.5km stretch from Clonsilla to an interchange with the M3 at Pace near Dunboyne, is due to open in 2010, with stations at Hansfield, Dunboyne and Pace. There will also be a park-and-ride facility at the M3 interchange at Pace, with parking for up to 1,200 vehicles, making it the largest public transport park- and-ride facility in the country.
The journey from Pace to Dublin will be 33 minutes, with trains leaving every 15 minutes at peak times.
The remainder of the line to Navan town, a 21km stretch, is due to open in 2015. However, no planning permission has yet been sought for this stage of the development. The journey time to Dublin from Navan would be about one hour.
The Navan rail line closed in 1963, but trains have not stopped in Dunboyne since 1947. Iarnród Éireann chairman Dr John Lynch said yesterday that he was delighted with the decision.
"Together with the current four-tracking of the Kildare route, the recent start of work on the Cork-Midleton line reopening, the ongoing work on phase one of the Western Rail Corridor plans, not to mention Dart underground, we are on the brink of the most significant expansion of our rail network in 100 years."
An Taisce also welcomed the decision but said it was disappointing that the extension of the line to Navan had been put on the "long finger" and that the M3 motorway would be built ahead of the Navan rail link.
While hundreds of applications have been made by State organisations and private companies seeking to have their projects considered for fast-track planning decisions, just six other projects have been deemed eligible for the process and are awaiting decisions by An Bord Pleanála.
These are a natural gas-fired turbine at Toomes, Co Louth; a liquid natural gas plant in Co Kerry; a container terminal in Ringaskiddy, Co Cork; the west Dublin Luas connection from Belgard to Saggart; electricity lines in Galway, and electricity lines in Co Leitrim.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Call to halt rezoning in Dún Laoghaire area
SENIOR PLANNERS in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown have urged councillors not to rezone any more land in the county until after 2019, a move likely to be unpopular among developers, landowners and those seeking to buy houses in the area.
However, planners say there is no need for new rezoning and that enough land has already been earmarked for development to cope with the sustainable development of the county and provide sufficient housing for the next decade and beyond. The planners' advice comes four years after former minister for the environment Martin Cullen ordered the council to rezone additional land for housing because it had failed to satisfy the council's own housing strategy and regional planning guidelines.
Councillors are shortly to conduct an interim review of the County Development Plan 2004-2010. In most local authorities, when the development plan is reviewed, councillors seek additional rezoning. However, advising councillors ahead of the review, planners have said that enough land was zoned, not only to meet housing demand for the remainder of the current development plan, but for the next development plan from 2010-2016 and for three years beyond.
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown had the lowest population increase of any county between the census years 2002-2006 with just 2,246 additional people recorded as living in the area. The county also has an ageing population. The council's planners said that Dún Laoghaire's compact size and affluence means it is unlikely to suffer through decline in population in same way as a rural area.
The 2006 census showed population growth was not keeping pace with the construction of housing, which the planners said meant that housing units were constructed and were being left vacant. The regional planning guidelines state Dún Laoghaire should have just fewer than 35,000 new houses by 2016. The planners say that this may not be possible because of the slowdown in the housing market - however, they told councillors there is more than sufficient zoned land to accommodate these numbers.
Until now, the council has used a housing density figure of 49 units per hectare. This is based on average figures of housing per hectare in 2001 and 2002 and underestimates higher-density developments.
Planners state a figure of 79 units per hectare is more realistic. Currently there are about 657 hectares of zoned land in the county - if the new figure is applied, there is the potential for 45,935 units to be accommodated on available land.
A substantial amount of this land is located in Cherrywood and Sandyford. The planners estimate that Cherrywood could accommodate an additional 10,000 units, while an extra 7,000 homes could be built in Sandyford. The planners also said there are large tracts of undeveloped zoned land in Kiltiernan/Glenamuck, Old Conna, Shanganagh and on Dún Laoghaire golf course.
Councillors are likely to be well-disposed to the planners' advice, having resisted large-scale rezoning in 2004. Fianna Fáil councillor Barry Conway said it was vital to be conscious of the dangers of over-development. "The planners' . . . research . . . enables accurate planning decisions to be made by myself and other public representatives."
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
However, planners say there is no need for new rezoning and that enough land has already been earmarked for development to cope with the sustainable development of the county and provide sufficient housing for the next decade and beyond. The planners' advice comes four years after former minister for the environment Martin Cullen ordered the council to rezone additional land for housing because it had failed to satisfy the council's own housing strategy and regional planning guidelines.
Councillors are shortly to conduct an interim review of the County Development Plan 2004-2010. In most local authorities, when the development plan is reviewed, councillors seek additional rezoning. However, advising councillors ahead of the review, planners have said that enough land was zoned, not only to meet housing demand for the remainder of the current development plan, but for the next development plan from 2010-2016 and for three years beyond.
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown had the lowest population increase of any county between the census years 2002-2006 with just 2,246 additional people recorded as living in the area. The county also has an ageing population. The council's planners said that Dún Laoghaire's compact size and affluence means it is unlikely to suffer through decline in population in same way as a rural area.
The 2006 census showed population growth was not keeping pace with the construction of housing, which the planners said meant that housing units were constructed and were being left vacant. The regional planning guidelines state Dún Laoghaire should have just fewer than 35,000 new houses by 2016. The planners say that this may not be possible because of the slowdown in the housing market - however, they told councillors there is more than sufficient zoned land to accommodate these numbers.
Until now, the council has used a housing density figure of 49 units per hectare. This is based on average figures of housing per hectare in 2001 and 2002 and underestimates higher-density developments.
Planners state a figure of 79 units per hectare is more realistic. Currently there are about 657 hectares of zoned land in the county - if the new figure is applied, there is the potential for 45,935 units to be accommodated on available land.
A substantial amount of this land is located in Cherrywood and Sandyford. The planners estimate that Cherrywood could accommodate an additional 10,000 units, while an extra 7,000 homes could be built in Sandyford. The planners also said there are large tracts of undeveloped zoned land in Kiltiernan/Glenamuck, Old Conna, Shanganagh and on Dún Laoghaire golf course.
Councillors are likely to be well-disposed to the planners' advice, having resisted large-scale rezoning in 2004. Fianna Fáil councillor Barry Conway said it was vital to be conscious of the dangers of over-development. "The planners' . . . research . . . enables accurate planning decisions to be made by myself and other public representatives."
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
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