North Clondalkin should be awarded village status
By Aideen O'Flaherty
A COUNCILLOR is calling for North Clondalkin, which he has described as being “annexed from the rest of Clondalkin”, to be awarded village status.
Clondalkin Sinn Féin councillor Mark Ward called on South Dublin County Council to recognise North Clondalkin, which runs from Rowlagh Community Centre on the Neilstown Road to the location of the new North Clondalkin Library on Oatfield Park, as a village at this month’s Clondalkin Area Committee meeting.
Cllr Ward said: “North Clondalkin is almost an island community, annexed from the rest of Clondalkin by the railway bridge on the Ninth Lock Road, creating an insular living experience.
“Neilstown was the first estate in North Clondalkin and it celebrated its 40th anniversary this year.
“Rowlagh is a parish since 1979. So, in the context of the historical Clondalkin village, North Clondalkin is a newer community in its infancy.”
The councillor, who grew up in North Clondalkin, has added that he believes there has never been a “real centre” in the area, but that there are a lot of amenities.
He added: “That stretch of area includes a community centre, supermarket, public house, various shops, a HSE health centre, a credit union, a school, residential properties and will also include the North Clondalkin Library when it’s developed next year.”
Cllr Ward also added that awarding village status to the area will “enhance” North Clondalkin, and it could lead to the area being included in the Village Renewal Scheme which provides funding that could allow for the upgrade of streetscapes, footpaths and art works.
South Dublin County Council responded to Cllr Ward at this month’s Clondalkin Area Committee meeting with the following statement.
“The South Dublin County Development Plan 2016-2022 sets out the settlement strategy for the county.
“This includes a hierarchy of urban centres ranging from Tallaght, Lucan and Clondalkin at the top of the hierarchy, to small towns such as Newcastle and Rathcoole.
“Outside of these settlements, the zoning maps of the County Development Plan also distinguish village settlements such as Tallaght village and Palmerstown which have a distinct identity and historic origins.
“The area in question around Rowlagh Community Centre includes local services which are of benefit to the local community.
“These have been recognised in the South Dublin County Development Plan with a ‘Local Centre’ land-use zoning, which has the objective: “To protect, improve and provide for the future development of Local Centres”.
“This zoning is typically applied to areas such as Rowlagh which are more suburban in character rather than having a traditional town or village nature, but which still provide valuable services which need to be maintained and enhanced as appropriate.”
“The vehicle for adjusting the zoning objectives is the six-year County Development Plan Process. The current County Development Plan was adopted in June 2016 and expires in 2022.”
Cllr Ward explained the process by which he hopes to get North Clondalkin recognised as a village: “The vehicle for adjusting the zoning objectives is the six-year County Development Plan.
“The current one expires in 2022 and it is my intention to have this stretch of North Clondalkin recognised as a village in this plan.
“There is a mid-term review of this plan next year and I will push to have this issue on the agenda of the review.”
