Portmarnock Community Association

Planning Matters

During the era of the building boom Fingal was the largest growing area in the country. It witnessed development on a very large scale right across north and west Dublin. Swords and Blancherstown saw the most rapid growth in housing and commercial developments. High density was the order of the day.

We saw the rapid expansion of Dublin Airport with the building of Terminal 2 and growth in passenger numbers to over 20 million per annum.  Permission was granted by An Board Pleanala to the DAA for the construction of a new parallel runway which was strongly opposed by UPROAR (a subcommittee of the PCA) because of the negative impact of the new flight path on our community. This flight path would be directly over the PSLC!  Older housing estates were changed radically during the so called Celtic Tiger years with construction permitted on infill sites so as to increase higher density. In many instances these new houses were totally out of harmony with existing   houses and completely destroyed the original layout and building lines of estates. Fingal Planning Department encouraged such developments. We now know what the consequences were of the so called building boom with ghost and incomplete developments scattered throughout the country. Light/self regulation prevailed in regards to the standards in building construction as evident In Priory Hall (Donagemede).  Bad planning was major part in our banking collapse.

The PCA have monitored planning applications in Portmarnock very carefully and have opposed them where we felt It was necessary in the interest of our community. We carefully study the County Development Plans 2005-2011 and the most recent one 2011-2016 especially the Local Area Plans.  Portmarnock Village is testimony to poor planning. When Fingal produced Portmarnock Urban Centre Strategy 2009. (Fingal County Development Plan 2005-2011)The primary purpose of the UCS was to ‘To create a realistic vision for designated centres, drawing on the support of all interested parties and include a realistic programme of action to enhance the vitality and viability of these centres’. Fine words no doubt but in the case of Portmarnock it was 20 years too late! Permission had already been granted   for the development of the Old Church site as well as the construction of high rise developments on Mannions site as well as on the Brooks Bros garage site between the Golf links Rd/Strand Rd junction. However the PCA did put forward a comprehensive submission for the development of Portmarnock Village. We felt strongly the buildings in the village should not exceed two storeys. The PCA were strongly opposed to Aldi's application to build a retail outlet in the grounds of White Sands Hotel in 2009 and were delighted when our opposition was upheld by An Board Pleanala.The PCA also opposed the extension of Seaview Guest House/Half-Way House on the Strand Rd in 2008 as we felt proper planning procedures had not been followed. We were subsequently proven correct. We did welcome the green belt on Paddys Hill as well as the extension of parking spaces at Portmarnock Station.