Swords Masterplan - Fingal County Council
Swords Masterplan - Fingal County Council
Swords Masterplan - Fingal County Council
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1.0.1 LOCAL CONTEXT: FINGAL COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN<br />
2005-2011<br />
The Town Centre is primarily zoned MC – ‘Major Town Centre’.<br />
The Vision for MC lands is to:<br />
…consolidate….and…to further develop these centres by densification of<br />
appropriate commercial and residential developments ensuring a mix<br />
of commercial, recreational, civic, cultural, leisure, residential uses,<br />
and urban streets, while delivering a quality urban environment which<br />
will enhance the quality of life of residential, visitor and workers alike.<br />
The zone will strengthen retail provision in accordance with the <strong>County</strong><br />
Retail Strategy, emphasise urban conservation, ensure priority for<br />
public transport, pedestrians and cyclists while minimising the impact<br />
of private car based traffic and enhance and develop the existing urban<br />
fabric. In order to deliver this vision and to provide a framework for<br />
sustainable development, masterplans will be prepared for each<br />
centre in accordance with the Urban Section policy objectives.’<br />
Objective U01:<br />
‘To produce masterplans for the major Town Centres of <strong>Swords</strong>,<br />
Blanchardstown and Balbriggan’.<br />
The CDP indicates that the <strong>Masterplan</strong> should be drafted within the framework<br />
of an integrated land use and transportation plan. The <strong>Masterplan</strong> will include a<br />
vision, development proposals and an implementation strategy. Whilst the<br />
<strong>Masterplan</strong> will provide a vision for the Town Centre, design is only one<br />
component of what must be a multi-disciplinary approach that combines<br />
innovation and realism. It will include the following principles:<br />
● Creation of an urban design framework for the Town Centre which will seek<br />
to enhance the Town’s character,<br />
● Establishment of the nature and mix of the uses, the existing density of<br />
retail/other uses and intensification of uses and proposals to ensure<br />
effective Town Centres,<br />
● Integration of land use and transportation with particular emphasis on<br />
effective traffic management, public transportation and reduction of surface<br />
level car parking; there should be a reduction in the dominance of roads<br />
and car parks,<br />
● A better mix of Town Centre uses and the permeability of space to create a<br />
living heart to the Town Centre, including:<br />
– introduction of residential uses, sport and recreation,<br />
– creation of focal points in the public realm including squares and<br />
recreation areas,<br />
– encouragement of retail development which expands on what is already<br />
in place, for example, specialist traders and country markets,<br />
● Exploitation of natural amenity and heritage assets,<br />
● Where appropriate the designation of Architectural Conservation Areas and<br />
architectural enhancement areas,<br />
● Application of the <strong>Council</strong>’s findings and objectives from the <strong>County</strong> Retail<br />
Strategy in order to progress the centre to achieve the characteristics of a<br />
Major Town Centre and to secure appropriate retail floorspace,<br />
● Partnership arrangements and consultation dialogue with local community,<br />
other private sector partners and public agencies, and the voluntary sector<br />
stakeholders to align plans and proposals for the centres and facilitate<br />
agreement on key infrastructural requirements and provision,<br />
● Establishment of a monitoring and implementation programme by the<br />
undertaking of biannual health checks.<br />
It should include consideration of:<br />
● Existing density of retail/other uses and intensification of uses,<br />
● The nature of the uses,<br />
S W O R D S M A S T E R P L A N<br />
1.0 Statutory Context<br />
● Lessons learned from comparable international master plans as appropriate.<br />
The <strong>Fingal</strong> Development Plan Development Strategy promotes the planned and<br />
sustainable development of the <strong>County</strong> Town of <strong>Swords</strong> by:<br />
● Consolidating existing and future development within well-defined town<br />
boundaries separated from the agricultural hinterland by designated<br />
greenbelt areas,<br />
● Providing for a much-expanded civic, cultural, retail, commercial and<br />
employment base at a level appropriate for a vibrant major <strong>County</strong> town,<br />
● Developing high quality public transport links to Dublin City, Dublin Airport<br />
and the Greater Dublin area,<br />
● Promoting the development of high quality living and working environments.<br />
The <strong>County</strong> Development plan identifies the following Development Objectives:<br />
Objective SWORDS 1<br />
● To encourage a range and quality of retail, commercial, civic, cultural,<br />
leisure and other services commensurate with the role of <strong>Swords</strong> Town<br />
Centre as a Major Centre.<br />
Objective SWORDS 2<br />
● To promote the development of <strong>Swords</strong> as a multi-modal transport hub.<br />
Objective SWORDS 3<br />
● To actively promote the early development of the Metro linking the town of<br />
<strong>Swords</strong> with Dublin Airport and Dublin City Centre.<br />
5<br />
Objective SWORDS 4<br />
● To develop an Integrated Traffic Management Strategy for the town.<br />
Objective SWORDS 5<br />
● To maintain the operational capacity of <strong>Swords</strong> By-Pass.<br />
Objective SWORDS 6<br />
● To promote the early development of a local bus service within the town<br />
linking residential areas to each other and to the industrial/employment<br />
areas and the Town Centre.<br />
Objective SWORDS 7<br />
● To retain the Main Street as the core of the Town Centre, protect and<br />
enhance its character and ensure that any future new commercial and retail<br />
development reinforces the role of the main street as the core area of the<br />
Town Centre, by increasing the existing level of retail use, prohibiting the<br />
expansion of non-retail or inactive street frontages [including financial<br />
institutions, betting offices and public houses] and strictly limiting the<br />
development of fast food outlets.<br />
Objective SWORDS 8<br />
● To prepare a <strong>Masterplan</strong> for the Town Centre.<br />
Objective SWORDS 9<br />
● To prepare an Urban Design Framework Plan for the integration of the Metro<br />
and <strong>Swords</strong>/N1 By Pass in association with the Town Centre <strong>Masterplan</strong>.<br />
Objective SWORDS 10<br />
● To prepare a Local Area Plan for ‘MC’ zoned land to the east of the <strong>Swords</strong><br />
By Pass for the integration of major Town Centre lands east of <strong>Swords</strong> By-<br />
Pass with the existing Town Centre, for a transportation hub, retail and<br />
employment uses and the <strong>Swords</strong> <strong>Masterplan</strong>.<br />
Objective SWORDS 11<br />
● To protect and conserve the historic core of <strong>Swords</strong> including the Zone of<br />
Archaeological Potential in the centre of the town.<br />
Objective SWORDS 12<br />
● To promote high quality commercial signage in the Town Centre area and<br />
initiate enforcement action where appropriate.<br />
Objective SWORDS 13<br />
● To promote and facilitate environmental improvements in the town core area.<br />
Objective SWORDS 14<br />
● To provide for a comprehensive network of pedestrian and cycle ways, linking<br />
housing and commercial areas to one another and to the Town Centre and<br />
linking the Ward River Valley, the Broadmeadow River Valley and the Estuary.