Letter to the Councillors, re : Please object to the motion to rezone Silver Park GAA Grounds to Residential

Dear Councillor,

We, the Tudor Lawns Residents Association (https://tudorlawns.webnode.com), are aware that a motion to rezone Silver Park GAA grounds from Open Amenity to Residential is going before a meeting of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (’the Council’) in the very near future. We are asking for your support in voting against this motion and thus preserving what is a valuable open space amenity which should not be rezoned as residential for the reasons set out below. 

1. Original Planning Conditions for Tudor Lawns Development

Condition 6 of a decision by An Bord Pleanala made under the Local Government (Planning & Development) Acts, 1963 and 1976 dated 13 November 1980 lays down, inter alia, that "before any of the development is commenced, the owners of the part of the land to be laid out and developed for playing fields and ancillary recreational facilities shall have entered into an agreement with the planning authority under the provisions of section 38 of the Local Government (Planning & Development) Acts, 1963 and 1976 providing for the preservation in    perpetuity of the said land free from building or other development (other than development ancillary to or incidental to the use and enjoyment of the playing fields as such)". A legal agreement relating to this was made on 31 July 1981 between the then owners of the land and Dublin County Council. Each house in Tudor Lawns has as part of its Title Deeds a certificate of compliance confirming that the house and site layout are in compliance with the planning conditions.

2.     Oversupply of unsold and unfinished residential properties in the area

There is currently a significant over supply of residential properties available in the surrounding areas with no demand for them. Several of the newly completed developments have not been sold and are lying vacant. Others are lying partially completed and there is a considerable risk that these will become derelict and will give rise to undesirable activities the longer they remain like this. In light of the foregoing and in the current climate, it would be perceived as extremely strange, to say the least, were such a motion to be passed by the Council.

3. Traffic Congestion and Health & Safety Considerations

·         Any residential development would further impact the already heavily congested traffic situation in the Leopardstown area.

·         Consideration should be given to the potential Health & Safety risks to both children and senior citizens living in Tudor Lawns and the surrounding areas from the additional traffic arising from any further residential development. This point seems to have been acknowledged by the Council who have recently erected signs in the estate to that effect.

4. Green Spaces and Public Amenities

·         If the land is no longer required by the current owners the Council should consider purchasing it and retaining it as a public amenity/green space. 

·         Given the high density of many of the local developments the demands for more public amenities is increasing.

·         The Council is required by law to provide land for allotments and we are aware that there is currently a very high level of demand for same but availability is lacking.

Should you require more information about our Association please visit our website: https://tudorlawns.webnode.com

Yours sincerely,

Maureen O’Driscoll (Member of Tudor Lawns Residents Association)