Leadership urged on housing proposal

A LOCAL councillor has called on Dublin City Council to show leadership in a major housing development that has been proposed for the Northside.

A total of 655 housing units and a retail centre are among the plans for a 17-hectare site on the Oscar Traynor Road, Coolock.  

The site, known locally as the Lawrence Lands, is part of the city council’s Vacant Land Initiative and its Development Plan 2016-2022. 

Last December, Dublin City Council encouraged local people, communities and organisations to read through the Draft Plan and make observations.

Cllr Alison Gilliland (Lab), who represents the Beaumont-Donaghmede Local Electoral Area (LEA), said housing in the area is “absolutely needed”.   

“There is no question about that,” she said. “Dublin City Council need to take and lead and prepare the site so as to ensure the end result is a sustainable community with appropriate amenities, facilities and proper traffic management. 

“I am calling for a transport assessment and a social infrastructure audit to be carried out to support good planning.”

Cllr Gilliland, who tabled a motion on the issue at a North Central Area Committee meeting in May, has raised concerns about potential traffic problems arising from the plan. 

“When you look at the current traffic issues in the immediate area, the Oscar Traynor Road and Dundaniel Road is highly congested at peak hours,” she said. 

“If traffic from the 655 units planned for the site are added to this, the roads will be at a standstill.

“I’m hoping Dublin City Council take the required actions to ensure we have both a sustainable development and mitigate against potentially negative impacts for the local communities surrounding the site.”

Dublin City Council said it did not wish to comment on Cllr Gilliland’s concerns.

Meanwhile, in a recent interview with Northside People, chairperson of Lorcan Estate Residents’ Association in Santry, Austin McCoy, said his members were extremely concerned about some aspects of the proposals. 

Their concerns include the possible environmental impact during the construction of the housing units; the 10-storey height for some of the buildings being considered, which they argue would be way too intrusive for local residents in surrounding settled estates; the impact of traffic entering and exiting Lorcan Estate at Lorcan Crescent; and the impact on services.

Mr McCoy acknowledged the housing crisis currently being experienced across the city. 

He said that a reasonable amount of housing units, built to a high standard and with adequate amenities to accompany them, would be acceptable.