Newpark estate - No to developers taking our green space

Join our campaign to ensure FCC decline planning permission on the following basis : 

1. Resident safety – 

o increased car traffic and reduced greenspace:

▪ With nearly 90 residential units , the majority who are families with young children in the estate, the existing recreational greenspace of Newpark estate will be heavily and negatively impacted by the proposed development . Our existing greenspace is a very busy and much needed space.  The proposed development would reduce greenspace and would affect the safety of the existing cycle way that leads directly from the Newpark estate playground area– see maps below . The proposed new road access to Newpark Grove would effectively cut across our walk/cycleway and therefore remove the existing safety of this route from the playground and is very close to a corner therefore creating a serious safety risk from children cycling or scooting on their return from Newpark playground and green space . There is already direct access from the Manor house site onto Newpark drive , the council should not approve the taking of much needed greenspace and cycleways from residents to create new roads when they are not necessary. 

o Impacts proposed cycleways. 

▪ As part of the Kinsealy area development plan, and following the conclusion of a successful public consultation – link the preferred walk/cycleway to Portmarnock train station will commence adjacent to where the planning permission is proposing to create access into Newpark Grove i.e. this planning permission request proposes a new road that goes across a cycleway that serves as a vital continuous connection into a very strategic proposed longer cycleway that will run to Portmarnock train station. This preferred route through Newpark to Portmarnock will be a strategic development in the coming years for the entire Kinsealy area and it is expected high volume cycling and pedestrian traffic will use this route to access the dart station, therefore it makes no sense to now put a new road directly across this route just to satisfy the financial gain of a developer to the detriment of residents and Kinsealy area safety.

▪ Kinsealy residents have been campaigning for many years now and have been in regular contact with Fingal County council to INCREASE our walk/cycleways, this proposed development TAKES AWAY from the very limited ones we already have. 

2. Harm to character of the greenspace:

o The Kinsealy manor house is an important and historical feature in the area, and this was one of the reasons previous planning permissions were refused. Accordingly, now building 3 modern MEWS houses directly on the site of this impressive building will impact the character of the protected structure. 

3. Overdevelopment of already high-density estate:

o Newpark estate is already high density at nearly 90 residential units, adding three more Mews type units is over development and unnecessary. 3 Mews type units does not align to housing shortage argumentation for this area or more generally, it is purely to satisfy the financial gain of the developers and not in the interest of residents. 

o Chapel road is now at bursting point in terms of houses vs public infrastructure ratio. There are no buses running down chapel road, no safe access to Dart station, no other way to get to Supermarkets than drive. Chapel road needs capital infrastructure investment by Fingal County Council NOT more residential units that eat our greenspace and create more safety risk for our children. 

o The proposed development proposes 1 parking space per unit. Kinsealy area is an area lacking significant structural development with no bus routes, no current access to Dart station, no pathway or cycleway to supermarkets.  1 parking space is not sufficient for each house as so it is likely these units would have parking shortages and be forced to park on Newpark estate roads thus causing blockages for emergency vehicles, impacting ability of children to see cars coming, frustrating existing residents with additional cars parked up on roads that are now free of such parking because houses in Newpark were planned properly with 2 spaces . 

4. Environmental impact – loss of existing trees, further additional development in this area of the estate is not recommended given the high level of development in the past few years. This part of the estate should be preserved for nature and existing protected structures both to the benefit of the environment and resident wellbeing. 

5. Overlooking residential playground resulting in privacy and wellbeing concerns for residents  – overbearing development of MEWs housing proposed to be almost directly on top of children playground and recreational space.