Greens to complain to EU about Adamstown scheme

The Green Party is to lodge a complaint with the European Commission over South Dublin County Council's (SDCC) refusal to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment for the Adamstown development in Lucan. The scheme is currently the subject of an oral hearing by An Bord Pleanála.

Residents opposed to the scheme claim that while the council is not obliged by law to carry out the environmental assessment at this point, it has an "emotional" duty to do so in order that the people of Lucan know the "full truth".

The Green Party's Mr Paul Gogarty TD and Cllr Fintan McCarthy last night said they plan to make a complaint to the Commission because they believe the council's policy on the environmental assessment is in breach of EU directive 85/337/EEC.

Mr Gogarty said the directive outlines how assessments should be carried out on "certain public and private projects which are likely to have a significant effect on the environment".

He added that the council's position "is an indefensible for a planning authority to take, given that we are talking about the largest single development in the history of the State".

Yesterday, Mr Des Johnson, who is heading the oral hearing on behalf of An Bord Pleanála, halted the proceedings for an hour so that he could consult with the board on the contentious issue of the outer ring road, which will connect the Adamstown roundabout to the N4.

Following the adjournment, he said the board, acting on his recommendation, had decided the hearing should continue. However, the "merits or otherwise" of the outer ring road would be excluded from the proceedings. Only debate concerning traffic flows on the road, if Adamstown goes ahead, would be permitted.

SDCC has repeatedly said the stretch of road is a key piece of infrastructure for Adamstown. However, it is not included in the council's draft plans for the development. Mr Dermot Flanagan SC, for SDCC, yesterday said the road's construction was "neither critical nor integral in the short term".

It would only become "integral" after phase six, of 11. In effect, around 5,000 homes could be built before the road would be needed.

The Deliver It Right group, which is made up of residents' organisations, claims congestion in the Lucan area is so bad at present the road should be in place before construction begins.

Mr Bernard McHugh, of Chartridge Developments Ltd, said there was "no quick fix or box of tricks" which would allay the concerns of residents regarding infrastructure in the area.

"If we continue to analyse, we'll end up in paralysis," he said.

Independent Cllr Mr Derek Keating said: "If the hearing is about anything, it is about getting it right."

Congestion was now so bad in Lucan that it was "unacceptable we should have to put up with more of the same".

Mr Justin Byrne, of Deliver It Right, said should Adamstown go ahead, restrictions on work practices needed to be put in place. The working day on the site should be restricted between the hours of 7.30 a.m. and 6. 30 p.m., with a half day on Saturday. Dust and noise control measures also needed to be put in place.

The entire 550 acre, 8,250 dwelling project would take years to complete and residents "could not be expected to put up with a decade of disruption".