Donabate Urban Centre Strategy Fingal County Council

9.0 Environmental Improvements
It has been identified that the quality of public spaces in Donabate
town centre is generally very good. However, certain areas need to be
improved to create a more attractive and inviting centre. The change
presented by the redevelopment of key town centre sites opens up
opportunities to create an enhanced public realm.
There is a strong need to define the town centre by creating attractive
gateways and approaches to the central area. The key principles of the
public realm strategy are to:
• Define the eastern and western ends of the Main Street through
better connections into public space
• Create a defined civic space and public transport arrival point
adjacent to the train station
• Maximise the use of the village ‘green’ through its integration with
the town centre
• Enhance the eastern approach to the town centre by creating a high
quality tree lined route to the southern edge of Balcarrick Road
• Enhance the existing Main Street with enhanced street tree planting,
furniture and materials.
Materials and Street Furniture
Donabate has many established trees through the Main Street, village
‘green’ and along the approach routes to the town centre. These will
be retained where possible and new trees of similar appearance will
be planted in prominent places such as along the western edge of the
Main Street to complement the existing.
The materials used within the proposals will be robust and of high
quality to create a modern town centre public realm. In order to
reduce street clutter some street furniture and landscaping can be
combined such as providing circular seating around trees at the village
‘green’. Barriers and bollards will only be implemented where vital to
maintain traffic management and safety. Cycle parking locations will
be created at key locations on the Main Street and adjacent to the
train station to prevent the use of alternative street furniture as cycle
stands.
Examples of street furniture and materials
Donabate Urban Centre Strategy 37