Ch. 4 Settlement Strategy
Enniskerry is included in the Dublin Metropolitan area under the The Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES) for the Eastern and Midland Area.
P.70 of the Draft CDP summerises what this means for Wicklow as follows:-
- To realise ambitious compact growth targets of at least 30% for metropolitan settlements, with a focus on healthy placemaking and improved quality of life.
- To deliver strategic development areas identified in the MASP, located at key nodes along high-quality public transport corridors in tandem with the delivery of infrastructure and enabling services to ensure a steady supply of serviced sites and to support accelerated delivery of housing.
- To increase employment in strategic locations, providing for people intensive employment at other sustainable locations near high quality public transport nodes, building on commercial and research synergies in proximity to large employers, industry clusters and smart specialisation and activating strategic sites to strengthen the local employment base in commuter towns.
- Enhance co-ordination across local authorities and relevant agencies to promote more active land management and achieve compact growth targets through the development of infill, brownfield and public lands, with a focus on social as well as physical regeneration and improved sustainability.
Chapter 4 Settlement Strategy
P. 72- ‘’In order for Bray to fulfil its growth potential, lands at Fassaroe to the west of the N/M11 are targeted for new housing and other facilities. The development of a new centre at Fassaroe is largely dependent on the delivery of infrastructure including upgrades to the N/M11 and the delivery of high quality public transport connections to Bray Town Centre and to Dublin City Centre. The Bray and Environs Transport Study, drawn up by the NTA in conjunction with the TII and both Wicklow and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Councils sets out a programme of transport interventions and improvement necessary to realise the sustainable development of Fassaroe.’’
Comment:- The Fassore development is the correct and proper planning strategy for north Wicklow. However the CDP makes no mention to the best in class development plan at Cherrywood in the DunLaoghaire Rathdown district. The Cherrywood development builds parkland and other social infrastructures first before building housing units. This strategic type of large development practice should be coped for the Fassaroe development as it will share Cherrywood transport infrastructure investment.
Comment: Enniskerry does not have transport infrastructure to meet the development needs currently zoned for. Lands zoned around Enniskerry are all Greenfield sites and contravenes the strategic guidelines within the RSES to use infill brownfield sites and public land and to locate development at key nodes of high-quality transport corridors.
P. 80 Comment:
Enniskerry is designated a ‘Self Sustaining Town’ (Level 4). Not a growth town. The Population Growth forecast for Enniskerry as tabulated on p.80 from a standing population figure of 1877 in 2016 and a target population figure of 1920 by 2031. This is an increase of 43. The development of ‘’Sika Woods’’ at Parcnasillogue constituted 47 dwellings. Further Lands adjacent are zoned for 219 units. Therefore the current area is currently over zoned in this draft CDP and is incontravention to this draft CDP. The draft CDP is more appropriate to zone large areas beside large towns such as Bray (eg the Golflands and Fassaroe), Arklow, Newtown, Wicklow, etc. and therefore lands around Enniskerry and environs should be zoned back to agricultural use to re-install the Greenfield belt that protects biodiversity and architectural heritage.
P.81 - Housing Occupancy Controls As ‘self-sustaining towns’, these settlements should provide housing for people from across the County and region, subject to the provisions of Objective CPO 6.2
Comment: All zoned development in Enniskerry as a ‘Self- Sustaining Town’is catering for an over spill from the greater Dublin metropolitan area and therefore contravenes the above objective.