Plans to increase the population of Kilternan in south Co Dublin from the current level of about 800 people up to a maximum of 16,000 are being considered by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.
The plans include zoning for housing, mixed commercial uses, a new village centre, a new Glenamuck access road to the M50 and even a bypass for the existing Glenamuck Road junction at Palmer's Restaurant and Pub. The development is broadly contained between the Catholic Church to the south and the Church of Ireland on the northern side.
Submissions on the plan closed on Tuesday and local residents, as may be expected, have lost no opportunity in letting the council and their elected members know how they feel about issues of green space, playing fields and schools.
The chief driver for the plan appears to be the proximity of rezoned lands between Kilternan and the M50 where much retail warehousing has opened up in the last year. The area is not, however, well served by public transport.
According to the council, the Glenamuck or northern end of the village will be designated for employment and higher density residential development. The council says 50 to 60 homes per hectare could be justified in this area.
The council also argues that the Glenamuck end of the scheme falls within the catchment of the Luas development levy scheme which would see developers paying towards the cost of the Luas extension to Cherrywood.
Heights permitted would generally range from three to five storeys. An exception to this is the Glenamuck Cottages which represent "an enclave of existing development form, and exhibits a particular vernacular style", according to the planners. Further retail warehousing uses will be discouraged.
It is intended to include a greenway link from the future amenity area on the rehabilitated landfill site to the north-west, through the centre of the proposed village to the Kilternan, or southern end of the scheme. The central section would comprise medium density residential development at 40 to 50 units a hectare. With the exception of the existing cottages opposite Palmer's Restaurant and Pub, the remainder of the lands comprise undeveloped fields and the soon-to-be-relocated sports fields of Wayside Celtic RFC. The plan needs to be approved by a simple majority vote of councillors.
