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S I M O N C L E A R & A S S O C I A T E S P L A N N I N G A N D D E V E L O P M E N T C O N S U L T A N T S Senior Executive Officer, Planning & Strategy Infrastructure Department, Fingal County Council, County Hall, Swords, Co Dublin K67X8Y2 29 April 2016 Re. Fingal Draft Development Plan 2017-2023 Lands at Castleknock College, College Road. Dear Sir/Madam I have been requested by my clients, the Vincentian Order, Castleknock College, Dublin 15, owners of the land comprising the Castleknock College campus outlined in red on the map below, to make a submission to the draft Fingal Development Plan 2017 - 2023. The submission relates to lands at Castleknock College and requests that the following be incorporated into the new Fingal Development Plan: - The school campus be incorporated into the ‘development area’ of Castleknock; The proposed cycle route along the southern campus perimeter should be redirected to the north; Identified lands, which are not used for recreational or other useful purposes by the school, be rezoned to Residential zoning. 3 TERENURE ROAD WEST, TERENURE, DUBLIN 6W D6W YY79, IRELAND. Simon Clear B.A. Dip. T.P. MIPI Phone: 00-353-1-492 5934 Darran Quaile B.A. MRUP MSc BLUP MIPI Fax: 00-353-1-492 7617 E-mail: [email protected] Fiona Cummins B.A. IT MATP Dip Env Eng MIPI Web: www.clearconsult.ie Vat No. 9803199H Site Location and Context The Vincentian Order has provided education at this site since 1830 and wishes to continue to do so. During that time the College has established strong links with the local community and wishes to strengthen those links. The College is situated on an extensive campus of 26.85 ha. The lands comprising the college campus are outlined in Red on the map below. Site Location Map Castleknock village has experienced rapid growth in recent years and now wraps around northern, western and eastern perimeters of the school campus. The campus lands are bounded to the north and west by the residential developments of College Wood, College Grove and College Fort. To the east the lands are bounded by College Road, beyond which are the Farmleigh Woods apartments. These residential estates supply students and new housing stock is required periodically to maintain the local supply of students. P:\Documents\DEVELOPMENT PLAN SUBMISSIONS - 12.40GB\FINGAL\FINGAL 2 DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2017-23\Vincentians Castleknock\Castleknock Draft Plan Submission.doc Campus with adjacent residential developments and Knockmaroon Demesne to the south There is a marked change beyond the southern boundary where the Knockmaroon House and demesne lands on the south side of the Carpenterstown Road extend into the Liffey Valley. It is considered that the college campus forms part of Castleknock village and this should be acknowledged in the mapping of settlements in the Fingal County Development Plan. Context for Submission In preparing this submission we have taken into account: - The provisions of the existing Fingal Development Plan 2011-2017 and the specific objectives therein that had implications for the lands at Castleknock College; The published Background Papers including those relating to Place Making and Communities; Transportation and Movement; and Settlement Strategy; The draft Fingal County Development Plan issued for public consultation. P:\Documents\DEVELOPMENT PLAN SUBMISSIONS - 12.40GB\FINGAL\FINGAL 3 DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2017-23\Vincentians Castleknock\Castleknock Draft Plan Submission.doc Over the period of the last plan, the Vincentian Order has co-operated with consultants acting on behalf of Fingal County Council in respect of the investigation of a route for the Dublin 15 Priority Cycle Route Scheme Route 2, in accordance with the provisions of the Objective indicated in the Fingal County Development Plan 2011-2017, as shown on the zoning map extract below. FCDP 2011 - Zoning and Objectives Map Extract The same objective is contained in the draft FCDP, as shown in the Map 13 extract below. 2016 FDP draft; map 13 extract P:\Documents\DEVELOPMENT PLAN SUBMISSIONS - 12.40GB\FINGAL\FINGAL 4 DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2017-23\Vincentians Castleknock\Castleknock Draft Plan Submission.doc The detailed plans presented by consultants acting for the local authority, indicated there would be a very significant impact along the entire southern college frontage to Carpenterstown Road, which, east of the college main entrance, is an intact setting between the college and the Knockmaroon Demesne. It is considered that the designated alignment of the Dublin 15 Priority Cycle Route Scheme Route 2, a combined cycle and pedestrian track traversing the southern frontage of the college grounds from east to west, would be unsatisfactory for a number of reasons, relating to:- Direct loss of land; Loss of land severed by the proposed scheme; Loss of a significant portion of the eastern access avenue into public use; Loss of amenity and severing of the eastern Gate Lodge (Protected Structure) at the junction of Carpenterstown and College Roads; Damage to the heritage and amenity value of the original tree and hedgerow lined boundaries along Carpenterstown Road and the interface to the demesne lands opposite; Damage to trees and features along the entire southern road boundary; Creation of potential no man’s land between the track and the existing boundary; Inadequate security for the college grounds and exposure due to the retaining wall and railings that would be required; Implications for security of the college grounds due to the potential for uncontrolled public access to school grounds and inadequate boundary proposals. The Vincentian Order wishes to continue to co-operate with and to facilitate Fingal County Council in the achievement of objectives in respect of developing cyclist and pedestrian routes serving the Dublin 15 area. The Order wishes to see these objectives achieved with minimum interference with the amenities, natural and cultural aspects and security of the college grounds. It is requested that the current specific objective, in respect of the Dublin 15 Priority Cycle Route Scheme Route 2, be removed from the new Development Plan and replaced with an alternative routing for a cycle and pedestrian route, as part of an integrated network, as discussed below. P:\Documents\DEVELOPMENT PLAN SUBMISSIONS - 12.40GB\FINGAL\FINGAL 5 DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2017-23\Vincentians Castleknock\Castleknock Draft Plan Submission.doc Suggested alternative routes It is understood that progress is being made with the design of the cycle/pedestrian route through Castleknock village and into the Phoenix Park (Dublin 15 Priority Cycle Route Scheme Route 1 – the Castleknock village cycle route). The alternative alignment suggested in this submission would provide a logical link to the Castleknock village cycle route. The alternative to the proposed route is indicated on the attached map, coloured Blue. An additional cycle/pedestrian network development proposal is shown coloured Green. The Blue alignment shown below (blue discontinuous line) indicates that the cycle/pedestrian route leaves Carpenterstown Road at the Porterstown Road junction - the same location as in the current objective. The suggested alignment turns north on entry into the college grounds and skirts the western and northern boundaries of the College grounds before connecting with the existing laneway that runs along the northern perimeter of the college grounds in an east- west direction as far as College Road. From there, there would be a short link to the Castleknock village cycle route. Alternative Cycle Route and Network Proposal P:\Documents\DEVELOPMENT PLAN SUBMISSIONS - 12.40GB\FINGAL\FINGAL 6 DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2017-23\Vincentians Castleknock\Castleknock Draft Plan Submission.doc The Green route (discontinuous green line) is a network development proposal, linking the Castleknock village cycle/pedestrian route to the Farmleigh entrance to the Phoenix Park. The Green route would run north to south from Castleknock village along the west side of College Road to the junction with Carpenterstown Road and thereafter via the original Dublin 15 Priority Cycle Route Scheme Route 2 route into Phoenix Park via the Farmleigh gateway as indicated above. Considering the bigger picture and the development of a network of cyclist and pedestrian facilities in the Dublin 15 area, it is our submission that the alternative route and network would facilitate the development of a better routing for cyclists and a better cycling network, without causing significant damage to the heritage aspects of the Castleknock College grounds that would be likely to be caused by routing the cycle way inside the Carpenterstown Road boundary (Dublin 15 Priority Cycle Route Scheme Route 2 route). Residential Zoning While infrastructure for cycle and pedestrian access to Castleknock village and Dublin City Centre will be enhanced it is considered that, as a result of any of the alignments through the College grounds, it is inevitable that the amenity and security of the school grounds will be reduced. In that context the lands adjacent to the cyclist and footpath facilities around the northern and eastern perimeters of the college lands should have residential accommodation overlooking them to comply with the provisions of DMURS - in terms of creating active and vibrant edges to cycling and walking networks. The issue of overlooking residential accommodation will be addressed by the rezoning of lands at the north-western and north-eastern perimeter as shown below. Such rezoning will facilitate improvements to College Road and the incorporation of the cycling network into the improved roads network. The existing facilities are more than adequate to cater for the needs of the student population of 600-650 students. Two plots of land within the College campus, located on the peripheries, have been identified as having potential for future redevelopment for residential use without upsetting the value of the core campus area as an education asset.

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