The former public relations officer for Dublin Corporation, Mr Noel Carroll, has accused Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council of "planning by stealth".
Mr Carroll was giving evidence, in a private capacity as a local resident, at the public inquiry into the proposed south-eastern motorway, in Dun Laoghaire yesterday.
Outlining his objections to the extension of Mullinastill Road, Rathmichael, part of a network of roads associated with the motorway scheme, Mr Carroll said "interference" with Mullinastill Road was justified neither by safety nor traffic volumes. The effect of the planned works would be to open up an area of green belt for high-density housing.
He said he was aware that Dun LaoghaireRathdown County Council is debating plans for the area in its review of the development plan.
Mr Carroll said the "only purpose being served" would be to open up the green belt to highdensity housing and it is very likely that 300 houses will result from the road's addition to the motorway scheme.
Pressed by Mr John Gallagher, SC, Mr Carroll said he accepted that engineering consultants M.C. O'Sullivan had acted at all times in good faith and in the interests of the road design.
Mr Carroll "accepted the good faith of everyone from the Minister for the Environment down, but the residents of the area will have to live with the results. The only function I can see of that road is to facilitate housing," he insisted.
Mr John McDaid, senior roads engineer with the council, said that stretch of road was designed in 1996 and he could assure Mr Carroll that the decision was made because of traffic and safety. An alternative would have involved removing trees on Falls Road and diverting traffic on to Stonebridge Road, where there is a school.
In response to earlier questioning by Mrs Iris Parke of Newtown park Avenue Resident's Association, Mr Michael Noonan of M.C. O'Sullivan said many of south Dublin's junctions were operating near capacity. A five to 10 per cent increase in traffic could give rise to 50 per cent increase in congestion, giving the impression that the traffic volumes on congested days were much larger than on free-flowing days, although this was not necessarily the case.
Mrs Parke, however, maintained that traffic from the motorway, coming down Leopardstown Road, would then use Newtownpark Avenue to access Blackrock from the west of the city.