Letterkenny councillor warns concentration of housing may cause traffic congestion
The suggestion was brought to Tuesday's meeting of the Letterkenny/Milford Municipal District by Sinn Féin Councillor Gerry McMonagle
A Letterkenny councillor has warned that development on the northern side of the town will only add to traffic congestion unless land south of the River Swilly is opened up.
Cllr Gerry McMonagle has called for a joined-up approach to housing and road infrastructure to balance development on both sides of Letterkenny.
“With 98% of our housing building projects going forward in Glencar. The heavy traffic congestion we are experiencing will only magnify,” Cllr McMonagle told Tuesday’s Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District meeting.
"The right thing to do here is to develop the southern side of the town. For us to get proper regional development in Letterkenny, we need to develop those lands around the Leck road."
Cllr McMonagle pointed out that the southern lands are "only a stone’s throw away" from the town centre, but that the major issue holding development back is the lack of supporting infrastructure.
Cllr McMonagle said that zoning as an urban development zone would open access to capital grants and the Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund to attract affordable housing providers.
Cllr Jimmy Kavanagh supported the motion, saying it would be "a no-brainer" to look at zoning those lands.
Cllr McMonagle said the matter must be considered alongside the proposed Southern Relief Road, adding that the proposed bridge across the Swilly will cut down on "a massive amount of traffic movements".
He called on council departments to work together rather than dealing with roads and housing separately.
“Let’s get the infrastructure put in place in line with the road project instead of starting after it," he said.
In its response, the council said the planning authority recognises the need for balanced spatial development in Letterkenny and the potential of lands south of the River Swilly, subject to the provision of necessary infrastructure.
The Letterkenny Plan and Local Transport Plan 2023-2029 identifies a potential key future development site of around 34 hectares south of the river, known as the Southern Strategic and Sustainable Development Site. The council said the plan acknowledges that considerable infrastructure upgrades will be needed to secure development of the area. The council commits “to work strategically with other key stakeholders to deliver resolutions to the key infrastructural deficits constraining the growth ambitions for Letterkenny.”
The council added that the planning authority will continue to engage with key stakeholders, including Uisce Éireann, to stress the need for enabling infrastructure to serve the area.