Deansgrange Local Area Plan 

Submission by Ciarán Cuffe TD, Green Party

Transportation

Priority should be given to pedestrians and cyclists. Cycle lanes should be provided on Dean’s Grange Road / Clonkeen Road and on Kill Lane. These cycle lanes should carry straight through the traffic lights and should include advanced stop lines.

-Parking needs to be planned and managed so as to ensure that pedestrians, and particularly those with mobility impairments such as the old and young,  and parents pushing buggies can safely pass through the neighbourhood. In general footpaths should directly follow ‘desire-lines’, and should be ramped or dished rather than stepped.

Flora and Fauna

A survey should be taken of the animal and plant life contained within the proposed Local Area Plan. This survey should inform future planning decisions. Tree Protection Orders should be put in place for any outstanding existing mature trees.

Design

-New building should not unduly overshadow or overlook existing buildings.

-In general, new buildings should not be higher than a line extending from the base of any existing window at an angle of thirty degrees over the horizontal. This should help protect the privacy of existing buildings including homes.

 -The Local Authority should examine the amount of traffic movements using the existing left-hand turn from Clonkeen Road onto Kill Lane and consider its removal in order to improve the quality of the public space at this junction.

-The Council should consider providing a well-maintained and designed pedestrian space adjacent to the centre of the Plan area. The existing open spaces should be retained and enhanced if feasible.

-A three-dimensional physical model should be constructed by the Council showing the existing buildings within the proposed Plan Area. A model of any new building proposal should be required to be made and fitted into the model so that it’s impact on the neighbourhood can be gauged. This model could be kept within the public Library.

-The use of building materials with a positive impact on the environment should be encouraged.

Children

-The Local Authority should provide a well-equipped and maintained playground and play area within the Plan area. This should be designed in partnership with local children and their parents.

Green Space and Open Space

-Deansgrange Cemetery is an exceptional ‘green lung’ within the County. The Council should examine the possibility of restricting vehicular access to hearses and those with mobility impairments so as to enhance the calm and solemnity of this sacred space. This would require a traffic management plan to be put in place on Dean’s Grange Road.

-Existing green space and open space should have signage put in place indicating connections, links and distances to other places within the neighbourhood.

Ciarán Cuffe TD, 8^th November 2004

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