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The
Green Party today called on Dún Laoghaire / Rathdown Council to halt
the proposed Monkstown relief road following damning criticism from
a report by Bord Pleanala. Yesterday the Council approved the plan
to build the road despite objections from a Bord Pleanala inspector.
Green Party Transport Spokesperson Eamon Ryan TD said: "Even if the
Board overruled their own inspector to approve the project, no
responsible council should ignore the comments of the inspector that
it was an 'inappropriate form of development' which would 'not
confer significant benefits to the community' and which would 'have
significant adverse effects on the environment and on human beings'.
"Dun Laoghaire / Rathdown Council are currently preparing a new
local area plan for the Stillorgan area whose central objective is
the reduction of the volume of through traffic through the centre of
Stillorgan village. The proposed Monkstown Relief road will do
nothing but hinder this central objective - another reason why the
road should be pulled even at this late stage.
Green Party Environment spokesperson Ciaran Cuffe TD said: "We have
to ask why yet again Bord Pleanala are rubber stamping a roads
project which their own inspector clearly indicates is contrary to
proper planning and sustainable development. At least the logical
arguments we presented against this development have been fully
vindicated by the detailed examination of our evidence which was
carried out by the inspector.
"The tragedy is that local communities are going to be torn apart by
the flawed thinking which is behind this road. It makes no sense in
transport terms in planning terms or even in terms of improving road
safety. It is not too late for the council to read the Inspector's
report and to realise that proceeding with the project makes no
sense at all."
Click
here to read more from Ciarán on the Monkstown Ring Road
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