Local Councillor Cormac Devlin has expressed his disappointment at a motion proposed by the Labour Party (and supported by the majority of Fine Gael Councillors to reduce the size of the environmental buffer which was proposed to be constructed across the road from houses along Pottery Road.
These lands which were owned by the National Rehabilitation Hospital, Amgen, H.S.E. & the IDA required an amendment to the County Development Plan and the decision to rezone these lands was taken at a meeting of the Council on 8th April.
114 submissions were received during the public consultation process. Having made my own submission and having met individual residents and residents’ associations, I formally proposed and supported several motions at the meeting which were designed to ensure that the proposed rezoning would be measured and sensible;
Motion 1 sought “sensitive, low density and stepped back development” near existing residential properties - PASSED
Motion 2 sought to safeguard Oakdale Drive to ensure it remained a cul-de-sac - PASSED
Motion 3 required a “10m environmental buffer zone” along the industrial side of Pottery Road protecting houses facing future development - DEFEATED
My Fianna Fáil colleagues and I voted in favour of these proposals however the 3rd proposal to give greater protection and screening to existing houses along Pottery Road was defeated by a Labour Party motion seeking a smaller buffer zone. Their motion was overwhelmingly supported by the majority of Fine Gael Councillors.
The lands were in question were rezoned and we can now expect various planning applications both from the Hospital (which I would welcome) and Amgen in due course.
