We have provided a copy of our presentation in advance. An Taisce, through its Dún Laoghaire association, has lodged three appeals against separate pedestrian and disabled rail bridge works on the DART southside line. The appeals were taken on design and procedural grounds. In its submissions, An Taisce was emphatic in stating the need for full disabled access to be accommodated.
An Taisce is equally concerned that the best achievable public transport system should be developed for Dublin and nationally. We welcome the recent announcement by the Minister for Transport, Deputy Cullen, of a unitary Dublin transport authority to achieve better development and co-ordination.
The decision notification on both Blackrock and Killiney stations was made on 27 June 2005. Both decisions attached design modifications, including restrictions on advertising. Conditions were attached for reuse of stonework in Killiney and reuse of granite and railings in Blackrock. The Killiney permission also made significant modifications to the bridge design under condition No. 4, including reduction of the lift height from 9.9 metres to 9.5 metres above platform level by omission of the tensile fabric and replacement of the sloping roof and the replacement of perforated stainless steel ballustrading and woven mesh infill panels with glazing. The effect of the decision is to reduce both the scale and impact of the pedestrian bridge and give it a more transparent character. The latter design modification, which had already been incorporated into the Blackrock proposal, is also of benefit to disabled access users.
An Taisce considers that the significant modifications which have been made in An Bord Pleanála's decision justify the basis of the appeals taken. An appeal taken by An Taisce is always based on carefully considered grounds of environmental public interest and design. In many instances, such as the DART pedestrian bridges, the appeals were lodged not to secure the refusal or overturn of the proposal in principle but in the interests of an improved and better integrated scheme.
Any applicant, whether an individual, a commercial property investor or State body, such as Iarnród Éireann, lodging a planning application should factor in the time period for assessment and third-party appeal. The latter is an important part of the Irish planning system, allowing local communities, individuals, organisations and commercial property investors to make submissions where justified and appeal to An Bord Pleanála, with the board having jurisdiction for the dismissal of vexatious appeals. An Bord Pleanála's appeal period should have been factored into any work phasing by Iarnród Éireann for this element of the DART line upgrade.
An Taisce is pleased to advise the committee that very constructive discussions are taking place with Iarnród Éireann to resolve the design concerns raised with regard to the other single location on which an appeal is outstanding, namely, the Monkstown-Salthill DART station.