www.communityvoice.ie - All the top news stories from Dublin 15

“Damned if we do and damned if we don’t”
by P. Lanner

The proposal by Fingal County Council to rezone 60 acres of greenbelt land in Kellystown for new housing development is proving to be a divisive issue.

The argument in favour of the rezoning is that in return the owners of the land will make a further
80 acres available for two primary school sites and a secondary school site as well as a graveyard and playing pitches. However the price to be paid by residents will be a further 2,500 apartments and houses thus further overloading the already creaking infrastructure of Dublin 15.

The local Fine Gael party is holding a public meeting to allow local residents voice their opinion on the proposals. The meeting will be addressed by the party’s local public representatives.

According to Cllr Eithne Loftus, ‘this proposal is going to be very controversial and needs careful consideration. While we need these new facilities, we are being asked to pay a heavy price for them in terms of additional housing development. Certainly, I will demand the delivery of most if not all of the promised infrastructure and schools in advance of any development or I will not vote for it,” she said.

Her party colleague, Leo Varadkar TD was also critical of the situation facing the local community who are being effectively blackmailed into supporting the rezoning. “By right, the government should use a compulsory purchase order to buy the land for the schools,” he said. “However, there is no provision for this in Irish law and the present government will not change the law to allow for it. I feel as though the council and government have put us in a situation where we are damned if we do and damned if we don’t’, said Deputy Varadkar.

The public meeting will be held in Diswellstown Community centre on Tuesday May 13th at 8 p.m.

Community Voice, Media House, Church Avenue, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15
Phone +353 1 822 1432 - Fax +353 1 640 4444
info@communityvoice.ie