Fingal adds to development land bank

More than 1,400 hectares of zoned building land in the Fingal area of north Dublin remains undeveloped since the adoption of the 1999-2004 County Development Plan, the county manager has told councillors.

The council is now proposing to rezone about 220 additional hectares for the 2005-2011 County Development Plan, a figure which would result in housing provision for about 30 per cent above the expected 2011 population of a quarter of a million people.

The county council says the additional 30 per cent will give it sufficient "headroom" to allow for a more rapid than expected increase in population, but it acknowledges that land owners and the building industry have made submissions calling for additional land to be rezoned.

Among the manager's submissions is that the development plan should consolidate existing towns such as Blanchardstown, where planners point out there is substantial zoned land from the last plan awaiting development.

One area where the manager intends land to be rezoned is around the centre of Swords and along a proposed metro line between Swords and the airport.

However, there is no proposal in the manager's submission to rezone the 250-acre estate home of the former taoiseach Mr Charles Haughey which was sold to a property developer last year.

The manager's report simply provides for "measures to protect mature trees and parkland" although the estate's current green belt/amenity zoning would allow for a range of uses, one of which would be a hotel and possible golf course. There has been speculation that the new owners of the estate may attempt to swap the land with Clontarf Golf Club or any other club whose lands may be built upon.

According to the manager's report the south-west part of Fingal, the Blanchardstown, Clonsilla, and Porterstown area, is proposed for consolidation and strengthening of infrastructure.

The manager said the area "suffers significantly from congestion caused by rapid expansion, somewhat slower internal road infrastructure delivery and uncertainty about the development of improved rail and strategic national road infrastructure".

Little additional land is proposed for re-zoning "as there is significant capacity in the lands already zoned" according to the report. The report also proposes "holding" land in the southwest sector, enclosed by the rail lines, as green belt associated with the Liffey Valley. This will reinforce the role of, and routes to, St Catherine's Park, along and across the Liffey at that point.

In the adoption of its last county development plan the council set boundaries to the development of the main towns in the area, some of which have not yet been reached. A spokesman said the main feature of the forthcoming plan would be to consolidate these towns.

Motions for additional, or less, rezoning or alterations to the manager's proposals will now be brought by councillors who must debate the manager's submission and adopt a draft plan by May 31st.