Sandyford expansion plans continue

The development of Sandyford continues with a new application before D·n Laoghaire Rathdown County Council for 125 new homes at the foothills of the Dublin mountains.

Sandyford is currently undergoing a transformation with more than 200 acres of land around the small, almost rural, village having been rezoned in the last County Development Plan.

So much land was rezoned in relation to the size of the existing village that locals have argued that the development of their village should have been the subject of an envirornmental impact statement at least.

The locals point to the restricted access to Dublin through Sandyford or Lamb's Cross and through Dundrum.

Public transport is not adequate and locals have estimated that between 3,500 and 5,000 cars will attempt to make the journey into town each day.

The council says the whole area has been the subject of an integrated area action plan dealing with issues of public transport, recreation and leisure. The Luas line is on schedule to be in place from Sandyford to the city centre by the end of 2003.

The latest application, which was lodged in the name of Cannon and Kirk with an address at Eden Quay, Dublin, is for an 11-acre site at Woodside townland and envisages a mixed development of houses, duplexes and apartments.

Almost five acres is designated for the provision of a "linear green way" for recreational purposes. An Environmental Impact Statement is being submitted to the planning authority with this application.

It is proposed to build 35 houses in two and three-bedroom units, what are described as three-and-a-half storey corner townhouses, and four terraced townhouses of three storeys each featuring three bedrooms. There will also be a number of two and three-bedroomed terraced houses and two-bedroom apartments over 20 commercial units.

Also envisaged are 14 ground-floor commercial type units. The access road is to be from a proposed loop-road linking to the Enniskerry Road to the north of the site. This road was identified as integral to phase three of the Council's Stepaside Integrated Area Action Plan.