Chapter 5: Movement Strategy

My specific concerns pertain to the proposed distributor road suggested in the Draft Meath County Development Plan 2021-2027, and as also suggested in Proposed Dunboyne/ Clonee / Pace Amendment No. 5.

Dunboyne/ Clonee / Pace | Meath County Council Online Consultation Portal.

I note and acknowledge the master plan 2 (MP2 Lands at Bracetown/Gunnocks) included in DCE OBJ 9.

I also note and acknowledge section 5.2 of the Land Use Strategy which explains that the proposed distributor road “…will provide an access to the remainder of the employment lands in this Master Plan area, which will enhance the attractiveness of these lands for economic investment due to the improved connectivity.”

Respectfully, I am requesting that the Development Plan is amended to remove the requirement for this distributor road for the following reasons:

1. Facebook development.

• The entire south-east half of the land zone for development has effectively already been developed. The Facebook development has been ongoing for a number of years and is nearing completion.
•  Therefore, the objective for which the distributor road has been proposed to meet is now redundant. That significant portion of the land has been developed.
• I request that MP2 is revisited in this regard, as the use of public funds to assist in addressing an objective which has already been met cannot be supported.

1. Lands zoned for development in the north-west portion of MP2 .

• Further to the Facebook site the remaining lands zoned for development which are referenced in MP2 can easily be accessed in a far more optimal manner from the Bracetown end.
• The remaining lands zoned for development can be accessed from Bracetown. Bracetown is serviced well by the existing infrastructure (M3 and R147), and also aligns with the broader development objectives for the Dunboyne environs.
• Previous planning applications (such as for The Hub and Enginenode) have noted the merits of access in that manner.
• I do not note any tangible benefits for such development in having access to the Kilbride Road, which is a rural road.

1. Kilbride Road traffic conduit.

• The proposed distributor road would filter traffic to the Kilbride Road, which is not set up to cope. The Kilbride Road already suffers due to its use for access as a back road to the Dublin 15 industrial estates.
• The Kilbride Road and Powerstown Road have been the site of numerous accidents, are blatantly dangerous, and not in any way fit for purpose as a main thouroughfare.
• The development of the proposed distributor road will accentuate these problems, and I plead that you give serious consideration to these concerns as part of this process.

1. Lands zoned for rural purposes.

• All of the adjoining land to the north of the Facebook development are zoned for rural purposes, and therefore further establish the negligent benefits of a large distributor road.
• In fact, such a road would impinge on the rural environment (for no benefit) which has already suffered for a number of years due to ongoing development in the area.

1. Clonee / Dunboyne traffic management.

• The proposed distributor road would also filter traffic towards Clonee and Dunboyne (for those wishing to avoid existing bottlenecks in the area).
• I do not understand how this proposed distributor road fits with the broader traffic management for the Dunboyne / Clonee environs. I believe this needs much further consideration before the inclusion of such a road in the development plan.

Finally, I am also seeking confirmation that this proposed distributor road is not a pre-cursor to any further road amendments in the area, specifically regarding the existing Kilbride Road access to Clonee village. This access is critical for a number of reasons including, amongst others:

6) Children attending schools in the area and travelling on this route

7) Elderly people accessing critical care

8) Commercial enterprises

9) Farming and agricultural demands

The Kilbride Road access to Clonee and Dunboyne is the lifeblood of communities, including my own in  [Redacted_Personal Information] and I am therefore seeking confirmation that this route will remain for public use and access in perpetuity.