DUNSINK DEVELOPMENT: THE IMPACT ON ASHTOWN
It’s important that in trying to solve one crisis that we don’t create another.
The Dunsink Urban Area Plan has the potential to deliver much-needed housing, but it must be properly planned. The Dunsink development will create a new town beside Ashtown. With 15,000 homes and an estimated population of 37,500 people, Dunsink would accommodate a population approximately 2.5 times the size of Ashtown.
Dunsink is located between Finglas, Ashtown, Castleknock and Blanchardstown. Although the Dunsink development covers 435 hectares, only 102 hectares are designated as net residential land — just under a quarter of the entire site. This excludes land reserved for schools, parks, commercial facilities and community uses. The net residential area is roughly equivalent to a square measuring one kilometre by one kilometre.
Dunsink will be nearly the same population size as Finglas and it’s important that it planned to help ease a housing crisis and not create another Ballymun.
Traffic congestion
The Draft Dunsink Urban Area Plan acknowledges the pressure on the surrounding road network. Its transport assessment warns that Navan Road / New River Road / Auburn Avenue junction:
“This junction is projected to approach its operational capacity during peak traffic periods following the implementation of the full build-out of Dunsink.”
The Plan also identifies the Navan Road/Ashtown Road junction as a concern, anticipating delays on Ashtown Road and Castleknock Road.
These are significant warnings for existing residents. Additional traffic from Dunsink will put further pressure on the road and nearby junctions, affecting everyday journeys throughout the area. If the transport assessment already identifies junctions approaching capacity, how will the network accommodate the additional demand without worsening congestion for Ashtown residents?
Ashtown station: Can public transport keep pace?
Ashtown Station is identified in the Draft Plan as an important transport connection for the new Dunsink community. The approved DART+ West programme is expected to improve rail capacity and frequency. However, better rail services alone will not guarantee that the transport needs of a new community of this size can be met. Services must have sufficient capacity for both existing and future passengers.
The Department of Transport also raised concerns about transport modelling assumptions, including the use of proposed bus-route changes that had been discussed but were not yet approved or agreed.
Luas: After 2042
A key concern with the Dunsink Urban Area Plan is the uncertainty surrounding the proposed Luas extension towards Tyrrelstown. The extension is identified as a long-term transport possibility, potentially not delivered until after 2042. This raises serious questions about how residents will travel during the years before the service becomes available. Transport improvements must be supported by realistic delivery plans, funding and timelines. Housing should be phased in line with actual transport capacity, rather than relying on future projects that may be delayed.
Housing development cannot rely on a future transport connection that may be decades away.
Schools and childcare
A substantial increase in population will create additional demand for primary and secondary school places, childcare and specialist educational provision across the surrounding area.
Although the Dunsink Plan identifies land for schools, reserving land does not guarantee that a school will be built or open when children need a place. Fingal County Council can identify and reserve school sites, but the Department of Education is responsible for decisions about school provision and delivery.
GP service and community facilities
More residents will also mean greater demand for GPs, primary healthcare, mental health services, youth services, sports facilities and other community supports.
Existing services in Ashtown and neighbouring areas cannot simply be assumed to have spare capacity. The presence of a GP practice or community facility nearby does not demonstrate that it has the staffing, funding or available places to accommodate a substantial increase in demand.
Ashtown
Dunsink has the potential to provide much-needed housing and create a new community. But its success will depend on more than the number of homes built. Ashtown needs must be considered as part of the overall development strategy, in cooperation with the relevant public bodies.
Ashtown residents deserve clear evidence that traffic impacts have been properly assessed and that essential infrastructure will be delivered in time. New housing should not leave existing communities facing worsening congestion, greater pressure on public transport and reduced quality of life.
