Sir, – I note the news that 8,000 houses are to be built in west Dublin, where traffic congestion has reached epic proportions.
So many more resources are going to be sucked into Dublin to provide light rail, roads, bridges, tunnels, schools, hospitals and community facilities.
Yet we are told that sources of potential inward investment are already “concerned” about congestion, high house prices and a shortage of school places in Dublin.
When will any of our governments have a serious look at national strategic planning and stop pouring resources into short-term solutions? The National Spatial Strategy of 2001 was not perfect but ultimately was destroyed by political “me too-ism ”.
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Cities in Scandinavian countries appear to be better planned, where there is a deliberately scaled relationship between their main cities, not like the lopsided creation in Ireland.
There is no overnight solution, but for the sake of future generations, could our political parties engage in strategic thinking, create and, more importantly, implement a national plan for balanced regional development in our small country? – Yours, etc,
ROGER FLACK,
Currabinny,
Cork.