Guidelines map Greater Dublin Area growth

Greater emphasis on the Dublin- Belfast economic corridor, the intensification of the "metropolitan area" in north Kildare and an underground in Dublin are among the recommendations of new draft planning guidelines for the Greater Dublin Area.

The guidelines, jointly produced by the Dublin and Mid-East regional authorities, will go on public display in local authority offices and libraries over the next 10 weeks.

They cover the development of the State's most populous region, which encompasses Dublin, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow, in the next two decades and will attempt to halt the growth in commuter traffic between Dublin and outlying areas such as Navan, Co Meath, Naas and Newbridge, Co Kildare, and Arklow, Co Wicklow, by directing employment to these areas.

The draft guidelines provide de-facto recognition that previous strategies to consolidate population growth in the Dublin area have failed.

The emphasis in the current draft is to recognise that towns and villages throughout Kildare, Meath and Wicklow have grown considerably, and to secure employment in those areas.

The guidelines published yesterday also propose to withdraw the higher-density "metropolitan area" designation from the upland regions close to the Dublin and Wicklow Mountains, and reclassify the village of Enniskerry in Co Wicklow from the metropolitan area to the greenbelt "hinterland".

Planning authorities are, however, only required to "have regard to" them in drawing up their development plans.

Under the National Spatial Strategy, all regional authorities are required to prepare a long-term strategic planning framework for the region.

In the Greater Dublin Area, this has been carried out by the Dublin Regional Authority, representing Dublin City Council, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin County Councils; and the Mid-East Regional Authority covering the counties of Wicklow, Kildare and Meath.

According to the new draft, the metropolitan area should be intensified, with higher housing densities in the north Kildare area around Maynooth and Kilcock, as well as along the Dublin- Belfast economic corridor.

The guidelines have also been tested in accordance with environmental considerations, one of the factors which led to the village of Enniskerry being reclassified along with the upland areas of south Co Dublin.

They recommend an improved public transport system, with an underground link between Heuston Station and the city centre.

They also suggests that the Dublin-Navan railway line should be brought back to service, particularly the Dublin- Dunshaughlin section which should be redeveloped with a target date 2010.

In terms of roads strategy, the guidelines suggest links between villages and towns such as Drogheda, Navan, Maynooth and Naas.

This is intended to allow industrial development based on critical mass of populations and skills between the towns.