Concerns over council’s ‘inability’ to plan for the amount of development
By Mary Dennehy
WORK has started on 24 rapid build houses on a green field site at the junction of Firhouse Road and Old Court Road, with the new estate expected to be ready for families by October of this year.
The development, which falls into the Templeogue/Terenure ward of South Dublin County, will consist of 24, two and three-bed rapid build units – which have a construction timeframe of nine months.
The site lies on the boundaries of three electoral wards, Tallaght South, which stops at the cross roads at the Old Mill pub, Templeogue/Terenure, which runs down the Firhouse Road, and Rathfarnham, which stretches from Ballycragh, up the Old Court Road and on into Rathfarnham past Woodstown.
In recent months the new boundaries introduced by the Boundary Commission in 2014 has caused confusion, with a number of residents questioning how the homes are being built in the Templeogue/Terenure ward when the address is Dublin 24?
However, the main issue for residents living in local communities, such as Ballycragh, Ely Court and Old Court, is traffic.
Speaking with The Echo, Rathfarnham councillor Deirdre O’Donovan (Independent) said: “I have been contacted by a lot of residents wondering what’s going on and the response has been quite negative in terms of traffic chaos.
“Residents are concerned that the new estate will bring more traffic… they also have concerns over the council’s inability to properly plan for the amount of development in the area.
“At the moment it is virtually impossible getting out of some estates.”
However, according to Cllr O’ Donovan, houses are needed in the county, with the council trying to address the issue and provide homes for homeless families.
Cllr O’ Donovan also stressed the need for the new estate, which is located on a prominent site at the foot of the Dublin Mountains, to be well maintained by the council – and efforts made to ensure that the estate and it residents become part of the community.
Tallaght South Sinn Fein councillor Cathal King told The Echo that he believes the site is a good location, and that a small estate of 24 houses should not impact on the area in any major way.
“We had to look at green spaces outside of communities in Tallaght, especially West Tallaght”, Cllr King said.
“We were starting to have no green spaces left for residents, especially younger people, living in West Tallaght.
“There are actually three social housing projects currently going on in West Tallaght and other areas do need to start [taking on housing projects].”
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