NTA objects to ‘incompatible’ village enhancement scheme for Tallaght
The National Transport Authority submitted an objection to the Tallaght Village Enhancement Scheme and stated that it is “incompatible” for several reasons.
The NTA strongly recommended that the council do not pass the proposed Part 8 plans for the Village Enhancement Scheme drawn up for Tallaght, and noted the lack of reference to BusConnects plans in the near future, the bus gate’s positioning and other aspects as reasons for this.
The Tallaght/Clondalkin to City Centre Core Bus Corridors are set to be introduced in the near future, with an official date yet to be announced.
The Tallaght to City Centre section plan commences at the junction of Old Blessington Road/Cookstown Way and is routed along Belgard Square West, Belgard Square North, Belgard Square East, Blessington Road, Main Road, Old Greenhills Road to the junction of Greenhills Road and Bancroft Park.
The bus corridors received planning permission back in October 2024 from An Comisiún Pleanála, and some issues arise in the differences between the council’s vision for Tallaght and the successful planning application.
The proposed bus stop locations in the Village Enhancement Scheme “are inconsistent with those permitted” and thus, so is the bus gate and traffic arrangements on Old Greenhills Road, according to the NTA.
The ‘throttle gates’ are noted to provide a potential for “conflict and delay” and the NTA noted serious concerns about the design and possible encroachment of pedestrian areas.
The submission also questioned whether bus movements, especially turns, were concerned when it came to proposed junction tightening and lack of signalisation at pedestrian crossings.
The NTA stated that changes will be made to the Main Street under BusConnects and that a lack of reference to the project or a nod to a ‘do-minimum’ approach may undersell the future of the area.
The submission concluded: “This is a material and substantive omission which means that the public and elected members may not be fully aware of the context within which the proposed development has been brought forward.
“Furthermore, reference is made to the ‘Do-Minimum’ option, which in the absence of a clear definition, is assumed to mean leaving the street as it is today.
“This is not fully accurate as the NTA holds an enforceable planning permission to carry out significant physical works and traffic management measures within the red-line boundary of the Part 8 scheme.
“In other words, as things stand, there is no scenario in which Main Street, Tallaght remains in its current condition.”
The submission from the NTA is one of over 100 made to the council, with 66 of these currently available on the portal following the closure of the consultation.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.
