Fingal Council seeking NTA's views on variation of county plan to protect St Catherine's Park

Fingal County Council have written to the National Transport Authority (NTA) regarding their views on the variation of the county plan to protect St Catherine's Park.

Kildare North Labour General Election Candidate Emmet Stagg has been advised by Fingal Co. Council, that Fingal Co. Council have written to the National Transport Authority seeking their views on the appropriateness of the Variation to the Fingal County Development Plan 2017-2023, which was agreed through a motion at Fingal Co. Council unanimously on September 11th last year.

Fingal Co. Council, stated Mr. Stagg, originally sought the views of Transport Infrastructure Ireland on the Motion, but as their remit relates to light rail and the National Road Network, Fingal subsequently sought the views of the NTA.

The motion drafted by Mr Stagg and which was passed by Fingal Co. Council sought to ensure that no link road would go through the wonderful recreational area that is St. Catherine's Park in Leixlip and read as follows:

'’That this Council requests the Chief Executive to initiate a variation of the Fingal Development Plan 2017-2023 with the purpose of:

(a) removing the following road Schemes listed under Table 7.1 of Objective MT42, N3-N4 Link Ongar to Barnhill and N3-N4 Barnhill to Leixlip Interchange.

and

(b) to include an additional Objective under Green Infrastructure namely - This Council recognises the significant importance of St. Catherine's Park as a recreational amenity for the Region, and mindful of this the integrity of the Park shall be preserved and it shall not be used in any way to provide a link from the N3 to the N4, within the functional area of Fingal or Kildare.’

Fingal Co. Council wrote to the NTA on July 3rd and are still awaiting a response but Mr. Stagg stated that the move could be seen as an attempt to frustrate the wishes of the Councillors and thereby the wishes of the people of Leixlip who do not want to see a road through St. Catherine's Park.

In conclusion Kildare North Labour General Election Candidate Emmet Stagg stated that he has written to the Chief Executive of the NTA to reinforce the view that under no circumstances can St. Catherine's Park be used for a Link Road between the N3 and N4.