Public Consultation for Castlelands Master Plan commences
Fingal County Council’s Master Plan for the lands at Castlelands, Balbriggan, goes out for public consultation over the next three weeks from Tuesday, May 7 to Tuesday, May 28.
The Master Plan is designed to create an appropriate sustainable planning and development framework for a 24.2 hectare residential zoned site at Castlelands. This will ensure the coordination of the complimentary social, community and physical infrastructure in tandem with housing development on these lands.
Fingal County Council is proposing that social and community facilities be provided in advance of housing on the Master Plan lands. This would mean the early delivery and provision of a strategic central area of public open space, a primary school site and recreational facilities, which would include meeting the local demand for a swimming pool in Balbriggan. The completion of the Castlelands Link Road to the Skerries Road, which will involve the construction of a bridge over the Dublin-Belfast rail line, will also be a priority within the first phase of the development.
“We are very conscious of the need to ensure that Balbriggan develops in a sustainable manner and our approach to the Castlelands Master Plan reflects this,” said AnnMarie Farrelly, Director of Planning and Strategic Infrastructure at Fingal County Council.
“We have taken on board the feedback from the initial public consultation last August and are proposing that strategic infrastructure, such as the link road, open spaces and recreational facilities, go in first before the housing is delivered. This is a strategic landbank which is close to the town centre and requires a high quality solution that will benefit existing as well as future residents of Castlelands and Balbriggan.
“We are very conscious of the need to ensure that Balbriggan develops in a sustainable manner and our approach to the Castlelands Master Plan reflects this. We have taken on board the feedback from the initial public consultation last August and are proposing that strategic infrastructure, such as the link road, open spaces and recreational facilities, go in first before the housing is delivered.
“The Castlelands Master Plan is aligned to the Balbriggan Socio Economic Strategy which will be supported by €10 million capital fund allocation over the next three year while an additional capital sum, in excess of €10million, has also been allocated for the completion of the Balbriggan to Skerries Greenway, the development of Bremore Castle into a premier visitor destination, the development of Bremore Regional Amenity Park, and upgrades to cycle ways and connectivity in the town.
“As the local authority, we are working with residents and other key stakeholders to transform Balbriggan and we have already introduced free town centre Wi-Fi and Heritage Trail while contractors have just moved on site to construct the new Skate Park.”
Fingal County Council has organised a Public Information Evening in Castlelands Community Centre, Balbriggan, on Tuesday, May 21, between 4pm and 8pm, where members of the public and other interested groups are invited to drop-in and talk directly to members of the Planning and Strategic Infrastructure Department about the contents of the draft Master Plan.
Copies of the Master Plan are available for viewing during normal opening hours at Balbriggan Library, St George’s Square, Balbriggan; County Hall, Swords; and Civic Offices, Blanchardstown. It can also be viewed on the Council’s consultation portal, https://consult.fingal.ie/en/browse.
Submissions and observations may be made by members of the public and interested parties from May 7 to May 28 in a number of different ways. They can be submitted online at https://consult.fingal.ie/en/browse, by email to [email protected] or in writing to: Senior Executive Officer, Planning and Strategic Infrastructure Department, Fingal County Council, County Hall, Main St, Swords, Co. Dublin, K67X8Y2. Submissions should only be made by one medium - hard copy, online or e-mail.
At the end of the Public Consultation period, the submissions and observations received will be assessed prior to the Master Plan being brought before the monthly meeting of Fingal County Council on July 8 for approval.
The requirement to prepare a Master Plan for the lands at Castlelands is provided for in the Fingal Development Plan 2017 – 2023 (Objective 16 Balbriggan).
The initial public consultation on the Castlelands Master Plan took place last summer and included an information evening on August 15, 2018, in the Castlelands Community Centre. A total of 342 submissions were received. These focussed on housing, requirements, new community facilities, transport and movement, environment, education and the design of residential environment. Issues identified out of that public consultation have fed into the preparation of draft Master Plan.
The lands at Castleland are owned by the Housing Agency and will be developed by the Land Development Agency with between 800 and 1,000 mixed tenure units being constructed. The Master Plan is proposing a ratio of 90% private and affordable and 10% social.