Dodder Greenway plans delayed to allow Councillors read report
By Aura McMenamin
South Dublin County Council has delayed voting on changes to plans for the Dodder Greenway, as councillors feel they were left with little time to review the 101 page document.
Councillors were due to vote on the report on the Part 8 consultation submissions at last week’s council meeting, but will now do so next month.
The Greenway route is approximately 14km in length and passes along the Dodder Valley from Orwell/Terenure through the outer suburbs of Tallaght to rural and upland Dublin to the entrance to the Bohernabreena reservoirs at Glenasmole.
The proposed works will include upgrading existing pathways, entrances, widening certain areas, erecting several bridges to cross over the river, upgrading public lighting in certain areas, and much more.
Independent councillor Deirdre O’Donovan said: “It was a 100 plus page document that was only available to us on Friday evening.
“We thought it was too important to not have enough time to look at.”
She said that councillors had received substantial submissions to plans for the Dodder Greenway and email correspondence from community groups that needed more time to be reviewed.
She highlighted the Dodder Action Group’s objection to a proposed bridge at Orwell Park to be omitted.
The Dodder Greenway plans propose to construct a new 4m wide bridge over the Dodder River at Orwell Park.
The Dodder Action Group said in a Facebook post on Sunday: “DA feel [the bridge] is too large and intrusive for its surroundings and suggest instead two low impact routes on either side of the river.”
She added that there had been significant correspondence from another community group, the Cherryfield Dog Walker who opposed the lack of inclusion for a dog run, an area where dog walkers can let dogs off their leads.
In their submission, the dog walkers said: “No accommodation has been given to the regular dog walkers that use the park currently many of whom walk their dogs ‘off leash’.
“The proposed Dodder Greenway does not provide an improved environment for all pedestrians – specifically the significant dog walking pedestrians will be adversely affected.
“Request accommodation of dog walkers within the scheme as they are already a well-established group of users with the area to include provision of approved off leash dog walking facility.”
Cllr O’Donovan said the group were ‘very responsible dog walkers’.
She said: “The council are opposed to a dog run and internationally, it’s not seen as best practice. By-laws are very clear about having your dog under effective control.
“However, the Cherryfield Dog Walkers are an incredible community and responsible dog walkers. There’s a grey area on the definition of effective control.”
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