In response to Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council's consultation on the Dundrum Local Area Plan ( https://www.dlrcoco.ie/dundrumlap ), I give my thoughts on how it might be enhanced to guide positive development of the area.
I congratulate the design team that put together this very comprehensive vision, and also for their webinar which I attended, where it was great to understand the constraints they were juggling as they put together the LAP. Were the LAP executed fully, and with my few small comments below I would be very satisfied.
For district heat objective, particularly when the reasonable supply will be from new town centre, I advocate creating the link from new town centre to feed CMH development along Dundrum Road - there will be significant reject heat for the shopping centre that can be used, and also some other smaller apartment developments on that road which can benefit from same. Otherwise this is a meaningless objective.
Suggest putting a condition on both the OSC planning application & the CMH one that the heat flow & return pipes be presented facing north / west with space in the development to accommodate pumping to adjacent network users be provided. Codema can give good advice on this topic.
Suggest to provide vehicle recharging facilities at bus stops around Taney for buses (incl. the private operator to airport) - ESB have significant infrastructure in that vicinity to support.
Suggest in Dundrum to include spaces designated for rental escooter parking and loading bays for recharging vans - these technologies will come, and we can already see Moby bikes etc. parked up - essential to facilitate them in a smart way. Please see informative video of how Helsinki is accommodating: https://youtu.be/0uXTa-SgZ80
Welcome the provision of bus gates, both at Dundrum cross (as the traffic monitor shows significant traffic - see https://telraam.net/en/location/9000004034) and at Sweetmount as I can see how that intervention brings into contention the lands under the Luas bridge, plus will prevent buses sitting in traffic on the Bypass heading North.
Suggest provision of automated bollards and/or similar enforcement technology (i.e. cameras) for bus gates at Dundrum cross + to Sweetmount from bypass, as there will be individuals that seek to circumvent
Include for pedestrian crossing from south to north at Jamie’s restaurant (rather than further towards Main Street as it now) - a lot of people cross the road there coming from barton Road East direction, and want to walk into Dundrum TC at Jamies (so unreasonable to expect to them go further)
Suggest at all junction to include traffic counting facilities & for traffic camera monitoring, i.e. using the Telraam equipment, and feeding this info back to citizens
Suggest to contemplate better use of fallow space to north of Taney cross under luas bridge (adjacent the new bus lay-by shown) - some simple function for kids to play frisbee or similar. This is an underused space, but gets good sunlight in the evening.
On old shopping centre site redevelopment, suggest that the condition OSC15 be modified to absolutely include for creche space without an opt out (no “and/or” business) - very congested locally to find creche spaces.
In Saint Columbanus Road, great that it is recognised that cycling is increasing in prominence with school & development at CMH.
As past resident of SCR, important to clarify that the “Connection to Dodder to Dundrum Cycle Route” as shown is a secluded, undesirable path to go down (as my partner says: “scary little laneway”), and so really shouldn’t be considered for active use. It will not be used. I commented on this in the consultation on “DLR Cycle Network Map” in July 2013 also (that it wasn’t really signposted), and I haven’t seen anyone use it in the intervening period. Please contemplate a better solution - it will not be used.
Suggest indicating that the cycle route in SCR is continuous (including across the tarmac’d section that people park on presently) and include a request button proximate to cyclists to join Dundrum Road (as motorists maintain a good pace at that section of Dundrum Road.)
Furthermore, at the Luas stop, it is a bit difficult for cyclists to traverse the Luas - I suspect this impediment is deliberate, but in the real world people use this route regardless so removal of a pinch point that causes conflict with pedestrians would be good to implement - the benefits of enabling cycling here outweigh the risks of conflict.
For all of the proposed “third places”, suggest provision of seating in well lit ares - helps for older people during the day to take rests, and allows teenagers to meet their friends in neutral spaces.