Dublin Enterprise Zone - Signage Strategy - Supporting Documents

Dublin Enterprise Zone - Supporting Documentation

Please Note:  The drawings contained in the body of the original report have been superceded by the attached individual drawings

DUBLIN ENTERPRISE ZONE - SIGNAGE STRATEGY

Background

The Dublin 15 area Enterprise Zone – Damastown, Ballycoolin and Cherryhound - has developed at a national scale over the last 20 years facilitated by significant public and private investment. The area currently contains 20 Business Parks containing 1,095 business premises with 16,920 employees. The area is exceptionally well served by road, sea and air transport and has seen significant investment recently with the completion of the M2/N3 link road in 2013.

In a survey of the area in 2013 it was discovered that the top twenty companies represented 50% of total employment in the area, and of the top 20 companies, 17 are Foreign Direct Investment companies. The pharmaceutical sector has clustered in Dublin 15 with Tech Group, Helsinn Birex, Covidien, Bristol Myers Squibb, Rottapharm, Ipsen & Astellas all having large facilities in the area and Fingal’s latest IDA client company, Alexion. In addition R & D, High Tech Office and advanced
 manufacturing are all present in Dublin 15 including IBM, Symantec, Alcatel, Lucent, Paypal, Xeros and Synopsys to name but a few.

Purpose of the Signage Strategy

The improvement of signage in the Dublin Enterprise Zone is required due to difficulties experienced at present by businesses in the zone. These difficulties include delays and inefficiencies in hauliers and other visitors within the zone reaching their destination due to the confusing layout of the roads, the numerous roundabout that are similar in appearance, and the volume of business parks. A lack of landmarks, similarities between the roads and the roundabouts, and the distance from the N2 or N3 to a park entrance mean that giving directions to specific business parks is difficult for business owners. In addition, if a drivers loses their way it is very difficult for them to reorient themselves even with the assistance of a business owner. The Signage Strategy will improve visitor orientation and help visitors to find destinations via the most efficient route.

• Visitors, hauliers, etc. can easily find the Dublin Enterprise Zone from the N2 or N3
• Park destinations can be found from each roundabout
• Each roundabout has consistent signage
• When exiting a Park the N2 or N3 can be located easily
• The area/zone has a sense of ‘place’/arrival
• A strategy for signing new development

This Strategy Report (including the detailed design drawings for signs and sign locations given in the Appendices) is the first stage of a three part process. Stage 2 is the Part 8 Planning Process required for the signage, and Stage 3 will involve the construction and erection of signs. This strategy will detail how the Ballycoolin area of the Dublin Enterprise Zone should be signed, and will outline how the Cherryhound area should be signed as it develop ensuring that there is consistency within the region in the future. The Damastown area will also be signed from the other areas of the zone.