Pelletstown
11 April 2002
by Cllr Joe Costello
On 22nd April 2002 An Bórd Pleanála will announce its decision on whether the first two phases of the proposed Pellettstown Development will proceed. The story so far: Pelletsttown was the last area of agricultural land in Dublin City lying between the Royal Canal and the Tolka River and stretching between Ashtown and Ratoath Road. It constitutes a magnificent boundary/”Green Lung”/amenity for the people of the Navan Road and Cabra. In 1998 the entire 105 acres at Pelletstown was rezoned for building development by the combined vote of Fianna Fáil and Fianna Gael Councillors. The Labour Party in consultation with the Navan Road Community Council and the Ratoath Residents Association campaigned strongly against the rezoning but were defeated by the casting vote of the Lord Mayor. At the time of rezoning the planning authority suggested 1000 homes as appropriate for the area at a 10:1 ratio. Following the rezoning, the developers, Castlethorn and Ballymore, applied for planning permission for 4,000 plus apartments, houses, office space and retail area in Blocks of 5-8 storey high. At a time when Ballymun is coming down a new high rise building is going up along the banks of the Royal Canal! There is no provision for social and affordable housing. The builders are seeking a ten year building period which would turn the whole area into a building site for the next decade. The Navan Road and Ratoath Roads are already congested with traffic. A further 4,000 units of housing plus the thousands of new housing units being planned between the Phoenix Park and Blanchardstown would cause utter chaos. Commuter traffic backed up on the Navan Road and Ratoath Road would spread into every street in the surrounding areas to get into town. The objections of over 2,000 individual residents were disregarded. Without consultation with residents, without a proper road or rail network to bring people to and from their workplace, this type of high-rise development is madness. This massive over development, if granted permission by An Bórd Pleanála, will make life a misery for most of the residents in the Dublin 7 area. Councillor Brendan Carr and myself will continue to oppose it at every stage.