An Bord Pleanála has approved a Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) to deliver almost 3,000 new homes and a new rail line at Hansfield, near Blanchardstown in west Dublin.
The high-density homes are to be located on an 82-hectare site opening on to the Ongar Road. The development will provide for the phased delivery of housing and other facilities styled on a "neighbourhood centre" with schools and commercial facilities including a medical centre, childcare services, refreshment and local services.
The new rail line, a spur from Clonsilla station, is on the route of the Clonsilla-to-Dunboyne section of the former Navan railway line.
The development will incorporate a number of zones, zone one being the northern part of the proposed main street with access to a village green and "gateway buildings" opening on to Ongar Road.
Commercial, retail and residential elements have been arranged in the vicinity of a civic square to contribute to the neighbourhood aspect.
This element of the development will be 200 metres from an existing quality bus corridor.
The neighbourhood concept also involves the new homes being placed within walking distance of communal and commercial services to encourage people to walk or cycle rather than drive to their neighbourhood centre.
A large number of pedestrian routes from homes to other facilities are to be installed to ensure that each home is within five minutes' walk of a range of facilities.
The entire development is designed to sit between Ongar village to the north, which includes a branch of Dunnes Stores, and the local services at Clonsilla village at the south east corner of the SDZ.
About one-third of the homes will be located in the area around the proposed Hansfield railway station, on the southern sector of the development, again with commercial, retail and healthcare services.
The railway station plaza will incorporate a small civic square and the main street will link the station to the northern part of the development in under three minutes' walking time.
The go-ahead for the Hansfield development zone follows the start of work last year on the State's first SDZ, a 10,000-home development with community facilities including a railway station at Adamstown in south Co Dublin.
The SDZ measure was introduced in 2001, facilitated by Part IX of the Planning and Development Act 2000.
It was proposed to give developers certainty about development permission when housing development was accompanied by infrastructure and employment zones under an overall masterplan.
The SDZ plan for Hansfield was, however, rejected by An Bord Pleanála in December 2003 because it had failed to outline a clear phasing programme for the "timely delivery" of schools, transport facilities and open spaces.
