Oakway development active travel links 'unacceptable'

Conroy Park, St Brigid's Avenue and Sunbury Close: all reject plans for links from new estate.

The prospect of having pedestrian links through three existing and long-established estates from a proposed large new housing development in Kilcullen is completely unacceptable, according to new observations submitted to Kildare County Council, writes Brian Byrne. The submissions relate to responses from Oakway Homes to a request for further information (RFI) from council planners and the overwhelming rejection of the active travel links is on grounds that include loss of privacy, unsuitability, and potential for anti-social behaviour.

The extent of the extra information requested resulted in two extra weeks being allowed for any further submissions. Most of the more than 80 observations were from people who had made submissions to the original planning application — which attracted comments from 118 town residents and organisations. 

The developer's proposals for pedestrian and cycle access through three estates were apparently a condition imposed by the council in pre-planning discussions as part of active travel facilities. The vast bulk of the objections to this were from residents of Conroy Park, St Brigid’s Avenue and Sunbury Close, all of which are adjacent to the proposed 180-homes development.

Conroy Park and St Brigid’s Avenue residents also expressed their fears for a green space, formerly the site of a playground, being part of a permeability access route.

Almost a third of the latest submissions cited concerns for traffic and road safety matters which the proposed large residential development (LRD) would bring to Kilcullen. There were also worries expressed about the ability of the current water and sewerage service infrastructure to cope with the development, and others expected to follow.

Concerns about healthcare and schools capacities reflect similar issues raised about the initial application, which triggered a public meeting in Kilcullen that brought out a large number of people. 

A submission from David Mulcahy Planning Consultants noted that the requirement for active travel links had been a pre-condition of the planning application, and that the developer’s role in this ends at the boundary of their property — any further implementation was a matter for the council. They said that, if conditioned, they are prepared to explore an alternative active travel link along by the church. This is a suggestion in a number of the the latest submissions, including one from Cllr Tracey O’Dwyer who pointed out to the planners how divisive in the community the proposed peripherality links have been.

The consultants also sought to alleviate concerns over the green space-playground in Conroy Park, saying they were committed to handing over that part of their property to the council.

A number of the latest submissions also said their original concerns had not been considered by the planners and the RFI responses. Proposals on a Weldmesh boundary fence instead of a wall between the development and adjacent estates are also described as unacceptable in the observations.

All the submissions can be read on the Kildare County Council planning portal. 

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