The Dundrum Mental Hospital site is to be redeveloped for housing under the Government’s new Land Development Agency.
This development has been announced and will proceed to consultation, planning procurement stage. I want to ensure that people are fully informed and have a say in the development process.
What this means for you:
· 1,500 much needed new homes will be built in the area (10% social, 30% affordable).
· I want to ensure there are adequate public transport services in place for when people move in. This includes looking at increased frequency of local bus and Luas services.
· I am also concerned about parking and traffic congestion locally. Disruption must be kept to a minimum both during and after construction.
Therefore, I want to see this site developed for more than just housing. It must have all the necessary infrastructure to meet the needs of everyone living in the area. Disruption must be kept to a minimum during construction and the plans must be developed on community need and good planning principles.
As part of the process, I want to ensure:
· Additional access to this new development to ensure it does not become a gated community.
· Protection of aspects of the site for heritage and cultural reasons. The site has been used a public facility since 1850. I will ask officials in my department to study the development plans carefully.
· Local people in the area must have a major say in the development process.
I will continue to keep you fully informed on progress as it occurs and I encourage you to engage in the consultation process. I invite you to contact me with your views on this development.