Local Area Plan (LAP) comprises of bombardment from planes, trains and automobiles:
St. Margaret's community tries to survive

St. Margaret's Residents still await decision on Dublin Airport Authority's (DAA) planned second runway project as the area is already rapidly transforming before their eyes.

Plans for the second terminal (T2) are in full swing, despite the fact that the runway is at a standstill. Many 'indicative' roads outlined as part of the planning for T2 will directly affect the lands and homes of residents in St. Margaret's - all in an effort to service the newly planned terminal and runway, which may not even get the go ahead!

Part of the South Fingal Master Plan incorporates a network of roads, as well as a proposed new luas line which has the potential to further decimate the community.

In September 2006, during the oral hearing of the runway, the group objected to An Bord Pleanala attempts to attach a network of roads to the hearing, as they were not part of the initial planning, referring to it as 'project splitting'.

Adrienne McDonnell, spokesperson for the group said, 'The residents are at a loss as to how DAA can justify the application for a second terminal when it is unclear if the second runway is to go ahead or not. Surely you cannot have one with out the other? It appears that there is no cohesion between projects which are running parallel to each other, namely; roads, terminal, runway and development. These are all being treated as separate projects, when in reality they will merge to all service one big master plan for Dublin Airport.'

The group also previously wrote to Fingal County Council's, County Manager to demand that FCC remove two indicative roads from the Dublin Airport master plan; the 35m western access link road from the Cherryhound roundabout to a western access to the Airport box; and secondly, the road from Harristown - both of which dissect Kilreesk lane, in St. Margarets, where effectively residents are being bombarded from all angles.

Some residents of St. Margaret's feel the area is being remoulded without meaningful consultation by Fingal County Council with locals, into what is referred to as 'option 2' on the South Fingal Fringe study. The study outlines option 2, as basically changing the area to no longer having its traditional rural look and feel.

McDonnell went on to say, 'It seems St. Margaret's, is rapidly being eroded by obvious industrialisation of its surrounding green space - an example of which is the new DHL and Easons buildings at the new Dublin Airport Logistics Park on the St. Margaret's road, where many new roads have appeared over the past 6 months to facilitate obvious future development.'

DAA only last week submitted additional information, which was requested as part of the appeal, to An Bord Pleanala on the plan for the second runway. The additional information is in the area of air craft noise.

St Margaret's Concerned Residents are made up of individual households, who are directly under threat of losing their homes and livelihoods, from the proposed runway and western expansion of Dublin Airport.

ENDS

Compiled: 12th March 2007

For further information contact:
Adrienne McDonnell,
Spokesperson Concerned Residents Association - Mobile: 086-8481891
Sheelagh Morris, Secretary Concerned Residents Association - Mobile: 087-9033410