I 100% OPPOSE and DO NOT SUPPORT this at all.
At the beginning of the development plan, the top table rejected a motion from the green party to count 'carbon emissions' when it comes to road projects and the reason being was that it would either delay road infrastructure and/or will be prevent road infrastructure from being delivered.
So why exactly is this amendment even being considered?
Include at the end of Monitoring Section relating to Policy CMP1 as follows:
To project the potential carbon emissions from major road projects and upgrades and cross reference projections based on road monitoring data after construction.
In other texts the council talks about maintaining and protecting our high quality road infra.(6.17) and also includes several road projects but yet at the same time wants to jeopardise such road infrastructure from ever being constructed.
This amendment will prevent
- Roads being upgraded to dual carriagway standard (the council has roads built to single carriageway with excess land for future dual carriagway example barnhill road and donabate road, ballycoolin road) All the dual carriagway roads near me up in hollystown/north blanchardstown would not be allowed to have been built if carbon emissions were to be included back then, this would have had a major impact on all the general emplyment zoned land in the county. Nobody wants to set up a warehouse if the road infrastructure is rubbish! Thats just facts full stop.
- Will prevent upgrades to our motorways and high capacity roads such as the n3 and n/m2. There is currently a scheme to upgrade the n3 and n2 which the government fully supports and they support it so much that it is even included in the programe for government as a top priority road upgrade.
- Will prevent roads from being upgraded to handle more capacity due to more residential housing being built nearby(thanks to overdevelopment and high density obsession from the council) or level crossings closing which is happening in both parts of fingal (dart west and dart north coastal)
Carbon emissions from road projects are totally irrelevant. Building houses creates carbon emissions. Building schools creates carbon emissions. Build metrolink and its required infrastructure creates carbon emissions. Being alive creates carbon emissions!! This is just insane thinking. Is fingal and the rest of the world supposed to not ever build infrastrucutre because of 'carbon emissions'???
Figures are published monthly regarding electric vehicle sales. Every month in 2022 has seen an increase in electric vehicle sales when compared to months in 2021 and 2020. Even during a global shortage in electric vehicles. These figures are published online by simi and anyone can view them. Trucks and lorries are turning electric. Buses are turning electric. Vans are turning electric. Cars are turning electric, all at a fast pace. So, carbon emissions are toally IRRELEVANT ! and should not be counted.
Carbon emissions from one project will be used to object and try stop another project and there you have it the council has blown providing road infrastructure just because of some silly emissions which have no impact on the real world.
If the council is to proceed with this amendment then they can say goodbye to any road upgrades. This will have a knock on impact on the amount of residential units that can be provided and will deter people from using our GE zoned lands. I ask that councillors object to this amendment as it will prevent roads in your areas from being upgraded. The n3 upgrade will be in serious trouble if we are to continue with this and i fully want the n3 upgrade to happen as it is necessary and is deemed necessary by all 4 TD's whom 3 are government members that agreed to adding the n3 upgrade to the program for government back in 2020.
I object to amendment 12.2 as it is a silly attempt to halt ALL road projects. Its 2022, science is used in construction to eliminate as most carbon as possible. Every county council in ireland is building road infrastructre while we want to count carbon emissions in order to stop them from happening. Unbe lievable.