Controversial Deansgrange Cemetery cycle plan formally dropped

Plans to route a two-lane cycleway through Deansgrange Cemetery in south Co Dublin have been formally dropped by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

At their monthly meeting on Monday night councillors were told by officials the local authority had listened to more than 1,000 submissions on the scheme and “it had never been the executive’s intention to cause any harm to Deansgrange”.

Instead the council has decided to amend the plan by routing the two-way cycle lane along the western side of Deansgrange Road, outside the boundary road of the cemetery.

The altered scheme will require the removal of on-street parking on Deansgrange, which the council said it had the power to do, under Section 38 of the Roads Act.

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Leas Cathaoirleach, councillor Michael Clark paid tribute to local residents and members of community groups including the Deansgrange Respect Our Grief campaign, some of whom were in the public gallery for the meeting. “You have spoken and we have listened” Mr Clark said.

However, the decision immediately provoked further objections at the council with People Before Profit councillor Melisa Halpin saying the double track cycleway along the length of Deansgrange Road had not been part of the original scheme and such proposals should, she said, be a matter for further public consultation.

She said in dropping the plans to route through the cemetery the council had “acknowledged the hurt and grief” of people concerned over “the sacred space” that was the cemetery.

[ Deansgrange Cemetery cycle path: ‘It could reimagine a very depressing place’ ]

[ ‘It’s as if they are trying to alter my daughter’s grave’: Families oppose Deansgrange Cemetery cycle path plan ]

Councillor Dave Quinn (Social Democrats) said many people going to the cemetery visiting loved ones needed parking. While he was very much in favour of a safe schools cycleway, he said provision must be made for parking for those visiting the cemetery. He proposed a small site near the entrance to the cemetery be used for off-street parking and this was carried on a vote by elected members.

The council’s chief executive Frank Curran said the Deansgrange Park to Park Safe Schools cycleway had been two-and-a-half in planning and had been subject to public consultation already. On the subject of further consultation on running the cycleway along the length of Deansgrange Road, he said “I would think the public consultation is done and we should go ahead”.

On a vote the members agreed to adopt the amended scheme.

Cathaoirleach Mary Hanafin congratulated those who objected to the route through the cemetery. She said it was “a very long process which has had a good result”.

Ms Hanafin said the active school travel projects on which the council had embarked had been very successful in providing a connected and safe network of walking and cycling routes to schools.

Two of the main routes, Mountains to Metals and Park to Park go through the Deansgrange area and the design for these routes was intended to provide a safe, continuous active travel route.

Ms Hanafin said she acknowledged the hurt the plan to go through Deansgrange Cemetery had caused, but she assured those in the public gallery that such hurt had never been intentional.