New development planned will see 130 homes in Rathcoole Woodlands

A facilitator has been appointed to lead a community engagement process that will revolve around a potential 130-home mixed-use development in Rathcoole.

The local authority has appointed a coordinator to help carry out a process that will see them hear from the community in advance of the proposed Part 10 planning application for the new development located at Rathcoole Woodlands.

The proposed development consists of 130 new homes including social apartments age-friendly homes and affordable housing among others, as well as GAA pitches located behind the housing – when announced in 2019, the housing units expected to be delivered was approximately 250.

Also located near the housing development at the top of Mulally’s Lane is the new Rathcoole Educate Together National School building, permitted by the Department of Education.

Residents have raised concerns about the traffic increase and that the plans will affect congestion further in and around the village, and also of the effect that the mixed-use development will have on the woodlands.

The woodlands in the area is an alluvial forest – a hardwood forest found in river floodplains on low levees, ridges and terraces that are regularly flooded as a result.

These kinds of forests are known to be fragile and difficult to preserve.

The proposed site for the housing comprises greenfield lands located to the south and southeast of Rathcoole village.

The site is bounded by Rathcoole Park housing and Mulally’s Lane to the west, where access to the school and housing will be provided.

Rathcoole ETNS currently enrols around 100 students, with more expected when it makes the move to its permanent home in the future.

Rathcoole Woodlands is 11.2 hectares of native woodland with over 80,000 trees owned by South Dublin County Council.

A Woodlands Management Strategy is expected to be created to ensure the conservation of the Rathcoole Woodlands, which have ongoing works nearby.

The council’s Conservation Officer will lead the strategy, which will be prepared in parallel with the Part 10 proposals for the 120-home mixed-tenure housing development.

SDCC’s Senior Executive Officer for Housing Provision and Financial Management (Construction) Vivienne Hartnett said at a recent area committee meeting that the protection measures from the management strategy will directly inform the final layout and design of the nearby development to maintain the ecological integrity of the area.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.