Detailed documents about SDZ plan
1) The last briefing document given to Councillors in December 2022. Any major updates to this are listed below. It includes information on house numbers built or given PP to date as well as the current status of the library application. View or download here:
2) Minor amendments to plan. This document is the Council's submission to An Bord Pleanála in relation to minor amendments it is seeking, including flexibility on a school site for primary or secondary, as well as flexibility in terms of providing a swimming pool or another piece of infrastructure. My own personal view is that when Adamstown has 20,000 residents it will need its own pool as the one shortly opening elsewhere in Lucan will not suffice. This proposal does not take away that option, but I will be monitoring closely. If the amendments are deemed to be more than minor, the Board will open it to full public consultation. See this submission here:
3) Library/Enterprise Centre Presentation
Given before in another update but included here for your convenience:
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Airlie Park opening
We have been told that most of this will be early summer, hopefully June, but there may be one or two areas not completed at that time and they hope for "substantial completion in Q2/3 2023".
Use of The cricket pitch in Airlie Park will be allocated on an annual basis. The astro pitch and tennis courts will be operated through a different system which will be via an online booking system, which will be available for all clubs to apply for. It's been mentioned that the area could do with additional basketball hoops and I will raise with SDCC.
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Celbridge Link Road
The ribbon cutting for Phase 1 takes place this Monday 27th February. The opening of this road gives new options for accessing the N4 and Celbridge and access to Tubber Lane (north) is again opened for pedestrians and cyclists, while the southern side still allows vehicular traffic.
This will not be a panacea as it eventually reach congestion levels as other house are completed in this SDZ scheme, first adopted in 2003 after the land's rezoning for housing in 1999.
Phases 2 and 3 are shorter stretches that link up closer to what will be the most densely populated central area around the train station. These won't be completed until after future planning applications are submitted.
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C2 past Lidl delays
I will be posting a full update about Bus Connects in a separate article, but in relation to the C2, as I mentioned in my video, there are difficulties with stretches of the proposed route by the front of Lidl in terms of width of available roadway and buses being able to pass each other safely. The Council says the NTA are still looking at getting this route moving asap and residents will have noticed test drive-bys. It's the final intention to run this route behind Lidl, along Phase 2 and 3 of the Celbridge Link Road. I pointed out that this could take years but the Council liaison said they would be looking at interim workarounds for this also so that a viable permanent route can be put in place sooner.
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Holi Festival of Colour at Adamstown Community Centre car park March 11th, 11:30am-2:30pm
A date for your diary, open to all, but needs to be booked...
The link to book tickets is here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/vhcci-holi-festival-of-colours-tickets-534991693557?aff=ebdssbcitybrowse&keep_tld=1
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Pedestrian crossing on Adamstown Boulevard
I've asked SDZ team to liaise with developer again as while the crossing is within regulation standards, it still means cars can use it as a "u-turn", which has obvious safety issues.
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Yellow box at junction of the Paddocks Drive/Gandon Crescent and Dodsboro Road
This has been raised a few times and my understanding is that it is still in charge of the developer. I'm trying the angle this time of trying to get the SDZ team to put pressure on. If it turns out that it has since been handed over, I've asked for it to be referred to SDCC traffic section.
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School issues
Gandon Park and Hallwell and any newer sections just built are not currently in the catchment area for the closest Catholic-ethos school, Scoil Mhuire in Airlie Heights, and I have written to the Board of Management asking if this could be looked at. The school obviously has pressures already for places and each BOM has autonomy in terms of its catchment area so there's nothing that can force a rethink. While we wait for this, the other options are Educate Together, which has a common enrolment system and John The Evangelist, a Catholic school which covers the SDZ area in its entirety as of now. The medium term solution is for the 32-classroom school already granted planning permission to open. My understanding is that this won't be until 2026 and having sought a meeting between Cllrs and the Department, this will be on my list should they agree to such a meeting.
Regarding second level, the only school to currently include the whole of Lucan in its catchment is Griffeen Community College. Adamstown CC obviously includes the SDZ area but it too is feeling pressure. Lucan CC takes in some of the area, but not all. The Council has contacted An Bord Pleanála seeking flexibility that the current 4th Primary School site could alternatively be used for a second level school as the need arises. A reply will take some time.
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Supermarkets, Primary Care Centre and other services at The Crossings near train station
Tesco and Aldi are scheduled to open in March/April with the other retails areas hopefully being ready later in the year. There have been issues with ESB Networks connection delays and other issues, so no firm date can be ascertained. [Update 6th March - Aldi gave notice last week confirming 16th March but then changed dates again and it is now provisionally scheduled to open on 30th March @ 8am].
I posted before on my website about the Library building which is being progressed and this article is worth checking out separately. Meanwhile, there's no indication that the Primary Care Centre will be delayed beyond its scheduled 2024 timeline, however negotiations are still ongoing between the HSE and the developer for what is likely to be the landmark building at 1 Adamstown Boulevard, opposite The Crossings.
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Boundary and land area between Shackleton Park and Hallwell
Following the completion of the construction on Phase 3A, residents were assured that this land would be graded and covered in topsoil. However this has not happened. The boundary fence is still an eyesore. Residents say they are continuously cleaning Graffiti off this fence, and cleaning out weeds that grow from underneath it. According to correspondence "we were told it had to be left there for 'security'. It is incredibly simple to access this site from Hallwell, and from the northern side of the proposed park". I'm aware that the park does not have to be put in place yet under the phasing scheme. However residents are looking for a more secure barrier that is less attractive to antisocial behaviour as well as topsoiling of the area between the two estates. I've asked the SDZ team if this could be raised again with the relevant developer.
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Tandy's Lane Village local centre
This is the area in blue on the map above. I referenced this in my recent video as I've been getting a number of queries about what is happening here. This housing development section, like others, has been earmarked as a "local centre" with a number of retain and other outlets planned.
There is no timeframe as of yet regarding delivery because the phasing doesn't demand that developers put it in place yet, but if I hear anything I will update.
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