An Bord Pleanála Inspector’s Report Development : Construction of a grade-separated interchange on the M7 Motorway, and a new link road to connect to the Western Distributor Road, at Osberstown, Naas, Co. Kildare. Application Local Authority : Kildare County Council Type of Application : Application for approval by Kildare County Council in respect of the M7 Osberstown Interchange Motorway Scheme 2008. Submissions to Board Prescribed & Public Bodies : Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI) : Department of Environment, Heritage & Local Government (DoEH&LG) : Dublin Transportation Office (DTO) : National Roads Authority (NRA) Others : Martin Boran : William Cullen Date of site inspection : 3rd & 12 th March 2009 Inspector: Michael Dillon _____________________________________________________________________ 09.MA0005 / 09.HA0018 An Bord Pleanala 1 1.0 SITE LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION 1.1 The site, with a stated area of 6.692ha, is located some 2km northwest of Naas town centre, in Co. Kildare. The site is bisected by the M7 motorway – a two- lane dual carriageway in each direction, which trends southwest/northeast through the site. The 120kph speed restriction applies on this section of motorway. There is an existing agricultural accommodation bridge across the motorway at this location (although through passage is temporarily blocked) and gates are padlocked. Lands to the south of the motorway have been recently laid out as part of the Osberstown Business Park (sometimes referred to as the Millennium Business Park) – through which the Western Distributor Road (sometimes referred to as the Naas Outer Relief Road) traverses. The Western Distributor Road links the Sallins Road R407 (at a busy roundabout just to the south of the over-bridge which carries the Sallins Road over the M7) to the northeast of the site, with the Carragh Road (R409) and Newbridge Road (R445) to the southwest of the site. The Western Distributor Road is linked with the Maudlins Interchange on the N7/M7 via the Monread Road – a 2km long busy local road serving residential and commercial premises. The Western Distributor Road comprises a single, undivided carriageway, flanked by two grass margins (within which are timber bollards), 2m footpaths, 2m cycle paths and landscaping. Public lighting is in place along the length of this road. 1.2 An attenuation pond (approximately 1ha in area) has been created within the Osberstown Business Park – roughly located parallel to the M7 – and immediately to the southeast of the proposed interchange. The pond is used by waterfowl and swans. This pond drains to the north via two culverts beneath the M7 – to streams which flow into one another and ultimately discharge to the River Liffey. There was a steady flow in all streams on the second date of site inspection. There is one mature ash tree immediately to the south of the accommodation bridge. There are 110kV power lines traversing the Osberstown Business Park from southwest to northeast – supported on double timber poles. Two no. three-storey office buildings have been constructed within the Business Park to date – with only part of one of them occupied. There is also a very large Volvo commercial centre somewhat to the southwest of the proposed interchange. The remainder of the lands within the Osberstown Business Park comprise agricultural land and fallow land awaiting development. To the north of the M7, lands are in agricultural use with fields divided by hedgerows and streams. 1.3 Osberstown House and its gardens (a Protected Structure) are located due north of the proposed junction. The house is surrounded by mature gardens and screen-planting. It is only possible to catch glimpses of the house and its outbuildings from the existing accommodation bridge – and this at a time when winter trees were without foliage. The entrance front of the house faces west. The garden front of the house faces east. The boundary of the gardens with agricultural land to the east has recently been supplemented with New Zealand Flax and Italian Cypresses and a new single-storey gazebo structure. The house is intermittently visible from the M7 and also from the Western Distributor Road at the bridge crossing over the Naas & Corbally Branch of _____________________________________________________________________ 09.MA0005 / 09.HA0018 An Bord Pleanala 2 the Grand Canal. Other houses in the vicinity of Osberstown House are also intermittently visible from the M7. Access to Osberstown House is from a county road which runs to the north of the M7, and there are a number of other houses with access from this road also. This county road is wide enough for two vehicles to pass with ease and is heavily used by local traffic. 1.4 To the immediate east – located between the Naas & Corbally Branch of the Grand Canal and the Sallins Road R407 – is the Millennium Business Park with access from the Western Distributor Road. This development is characterised by high-quality landscaping and surface car-parking around individual office blocks – in a campus-style layout. 1.5 The proposed interchange is roughly equidistant from Maudlins Interchange to the east and Newhall Interchange to the southwest on the N7/M7. These two junctions serve the town of Naas – with the latter serving Newbridge also. It is approximately 3.0km from the site to the Maudlins Interchange and 2.5km from the site to the Newhall Interchange. The motorway boundary is defined by a fence. The M7 is carried over the Naas & Corbally Branch of the Grand Canal on a high embankment. 1.6 The River Liffey flows approximately 0.75km to the northwest of the site and the Naas & Corbally Branch of the Grand Canal flows some 0.75km to the east of the site. The Grand Canal itself flows some 1.25km to the north of the site. The Dublin to Cork railway line runs approximately 0.8km to the north of the site: the nearest railway station is at Sallins – some 1.75km due northeast of the site. The Osberstown Sewage Treatment Works is located approximately 1km to the southwest of the site – immediately adjacent to the M7 – but accessed from the county road to the north. 2.0 PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT Approval sought by Kildare County Council (on behalf of Kildare County Council and Naas Town Council) from the Strategic Infrastructure Division of An Bord Pleanala, for development comprising a grade-separated interchange on the M7 motorway at Osberstown, pursuant to the provisions of the Roads Act 1993 (as amended) and as provided for by Sections 48, 49 and 51. The approval was sought on 4 th November 2008, and can be broken down into the following elements- • Rotary junction with two over-bridges across the M7 with full connectivity to the M7 by four slip roads. The junction is designed with auxiliary (free-flow) lanes on both merges and diverges. • Connection to the Western Distributor Road at grade, via a 0.2km length of distributor carriageway to an existing roundabout to the south. • The interchange will facilitate a planned direct connection to the Regional Road network (R407) to the north of the M7 – by way of the northern spur. (The R407 links Naas with Kilcock & the M4 with the M7, via Sallins and Clane). • Provision for extinguishment of an existing right-of-way across the M7 accommodation bridge. _____________________________________________________________________ 09.MA0005 / 09.HA0018 An Bord Pleanala 3 • Associated ancillary works such as drainage. A small stream through the site may have to be diverted. Surface water is to be discharged to roadside gullies and filter drains. • Provision for bus lanes throughout, together with cycle-lanes and footpaths. • Full traffic route lighting. • Landscaping. • Temporary site compound in southwest quadrant of interchange. • The design allows for the future upgrading of the M7 to dual-three lanes. • The EIS states (p.23) that the proposed junction has been designed in accordance with the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (NRA 2007). 3.0 NATIONAL/REGIONAL GUIDANCE & DEVELOPMENT PLANS 3.1 National Spatial Strategy 2002-2020 3.1.1 Naas is the county town of Kildare and has the largest population of any town within the county. Naas, and the nearby towns of Newbridge and Kilcullen, are designated as ‘Primary Development Centres’ within the Greater Dublin Area. Naas is identified as a strong town within the Hinterland Area of Dublin. Self-sustaining growth is promoted in order to move away from dependence on Dublin. 3.2 Regional Planning Guidelines for the Greater Dublin Area 2004-2016 3.2.1 The site is within the Hinterland Area, wherein it is strategy to channel development into a ‘Large Growth Town 1’ category such as Naas (also referred to as ‘Satellite Towns’ – part of a ‘Primary Dynamic Cluster’ with the towns of Newbridge and Kilcullen. The population horizon for towns such as Naas is 25,000-40,000 by 2016. Sallins is designated a ‘small town’. 3.3 Kildare County Development Plan 2005 3.3.1 The landscape character of the area is described as ‘Northern Lowlands’, with generally flat terrain and open lands with regular (medium sized) field patterns. Hedgerows are generally well-maintained and low, with scattered trees along the field boundaries that partially screen the lowest lying areas. Nevertheless, the generally low-lying vegetation of the area allows long- distance and extensive visibility. 3.3.2 Chapter 3 of the Plan deals with Physical Infrastructure Strategy. Under Section 3.1.4.3, Policy NR 9 states ‘ To further investigate the potential for appropriate development at the various interchanges throughout the County having regard to the IFPLUTs, RPGs, the primacy of the locations identified in Policy NR 8 and policy ED 34 under Chapter 2, Section 2.4.9 broad economic factors and proper planning and development. In this regard the following interchanges will be examined: - amongst others included are Newhall, Millennium Park and Maudlins .