New town to boast 16,000 energy-efficient homes

Independent.ie
August 24 2007

A NEW 'green' town to include 16,000 homes is planned for the Irish capital. The new suburb will be in Clonburris and Liffey Valley, and will offer new residents a direct rail link to the city centre. The houses will also be among the 'greenest' ever built here, with builders using the most environmentally friendly products available.

South Dublin County Council has developed a masterplan for the area between Lucan and Clondalkin, which sets out how the town will be developed. Clonburris has joined nearby Adamstown in being designated a Strategic Development Zone, meaning the community facilities and public transport links will be built in tandem with the new homes. Landowners will be asked to help pay for rail links and essential infrastructure for the new town.

The council are already developing a new town in nearby Adamstown, also a Strategic Development Zone, and developers involved in this scheme have helped pay for infrastructure. And the public are being asked to give their views on the massive development planned for the south west of the city. The site lies west of the M50 motorway, and the Dublin-Kildare railway line bisects it with the Grand Canal bordering its southern end.

The Clonburris area covers 265 hectares, and the new district of eight new neighbourhoods will be based around a new Main Street adjacent to the rail and metro station at Fonthill Road. It will include "significant" shopping and employment floorspace, between 11,800 and 16,000 new homes, and a range of community and other facilities such as schools and parks to support the new community.

New bridges will be built across the canal and railway to provide good public transport links, while a "sustainability toolkit" sets out standards that new development will need to meet. This includes "A" rated energy-efficient new homes and and the use of renewable energy sources. The proposed Local Area Plan for the Liffey Valley Centre covers 64 hectares and provides a high quality mixed use urban centre, based on upgraded public transport and urban design. The new town centre will incorporate retail, commercial, residential, recreational, community and cultural activities.

It promises "innovative" buildings and a network of urban squares and streets. A new bus/taxi interchange, with possible future Luas, will be provided at the heart of the new town centre. The public consultation period on both plans runs until October 1 next, and the public are asked to make written submissions. The plans can be inspected at council offices.