Council to take in charge Paddocks estate and calls for stronger permeability link

“It is quite a short link. So, it should not be a great deal of money to sort it out”.

The Paddocks in Lucan is expected to be taken in charge and councillors have called for a stronger permeability link between Hillcrest and the new council estate.

The Paddocks in Lucan is expected to be taken in charge by the council in the next month, and calls have been made to improve the connection between the estate and its neighbouring neighbourhood Hillcrest.

South Dublin County Council expect to have charge of The Paddocks in the next month following the next full council meeting and local representatives made the case for a new permeability link to be established between the estates.

The current connection between them was described as a “health and safety issue” by Councillor Niamh Fennell and that improvements are necessary for accessibility.

Cllr Fennell said: “It’s a place that’s been used time and time again given the development in Lucan west as well and, I suppose, we cannot be allowing people to use a really slippery, mucky gap, particularly those who are using prams and buggies, and wheelchair users.”

The granted planning from the taking in charge process does not have a permeable link between the Paddocks estate and Hillcrest.

SDCC had previously advised that the unofficial opening between the Paddocks and Hillcrest be closed with a metal railing, but this has not been completed yet despite several attempts from the developer.

The local authority stated that, upon completion of the TIC process, they would be able to conduct a public consultation on having an official pedestrian link opened between the Paddocks and Hillcrest.

Councillor Caroline Brady noted that the creation of a new route may not involve a lot of work.

Cllr Brady said: “I don’t think there’s a lot of work really involved in it. It’s a very simple cut-through and I think that with hopefully a little bit of work and not too much cost, we should be able to put in something that is usable by the residents.”

If a permeability link was agreed by the residents of both estates, then funding could be sourced from existing SDCC budgets to complete a proper footpath link at the agreed location.

The council noted that, in order to progress this link, all the necessary lands must be either taken in charge or the local authority must have express permission from all the landowners to make the necessary footpath link.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.