An Board Pleanala has made their ruling on the Clonburris Strategic Development Zone which could see the construction of up to 8200 homes in the area. Councillors spent many hours debating amendments to the plan in 2018 and made significant changes to the plan on issues such as building heights, public transport and exiting communities.
Cllr Madeleine Johansson commented: “It’s really disappointing to see the decision of the Board to remove many of the good amendments councillors made to the plan such as public transport provision. We worked closely with existing communities to achieve a plan that was sustainable and addressed the inadequate provision of public transport in the area. We also supported residents to make the process of opening up existing estates more democratic.
“The removal of all of these in the plan is an insult to the work that councillors and residents have done. Instead we have an un-elected body make decisions which will have a massive negative impact on the local community, acting in the interest of the developers and land speculators. We need more housing, but we need it to be built in sustainable communities with adequate infrastructure.”
