Councillors are urged to accept Route A motorway

THE Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown county manager, Mr Kevin O'Sullivan, last night urged councillors to accept a consultant's decision on the route of the South Eastern Motorway.

The preferred route, drawn up by consultants MC O'Sullivan, is a 6.9 km stretch of motorway between Carrickmines and Sandyford. It passes within 30 metres of local authority housing at Ballyogan, bisects the six-furlong gallop at Leopardstown racecourse and crosses the grounds of Leopardstown Hospital and the British ambassador's residence at Glencairn. It is known as Route A

An alternative 10.9 km route travels from Carrickmines across the present landfill at Ballyogan, crosses the Kilgobbin and Enniskerry roads to Lambs Cross and on across Blackglen road to a junction at Ticknock. This is known as Route B.

At last night's special meeting of the council, councillors were told Route B would effectively close Blackglen road for three years while the motorway was being built. The landfill at Ballyogan would need to be excavated and removed and, at 10.9 km, it would also be more expensive.

Councillors have to decide which route to include in the draft development plan deliberations which take place next month.

Meanwhile, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has rejected a request from the Department of the Marine to take over ownership of Sandycove and Bulloch harbours. Under the Harbours Act 1996, all small coastal harbours and piers should have been transferred to the ownership of local authorities by last Monday. However Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown councillors have refused the offer of at least two harbours because of the costs associated with ownership. At a meeting this week, Cllr Betty Coffey (FF) said the transfer was "an outrage".

The council's senior administrative officer, Mr John Guckian, said the council had been in touch with the Department of the Marine. The Department had agreed to suspend the transfer of ownership pending discussions.