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PLEASE NOTE!
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On planning ....
A ten-year old schoolgirl was killed instantly as she crossed the road from ballet class at the old Saint Andrews Primary School to the pedestrian entrance to Lucan Heights, where her mother waited to accompany her home. She died on the footpath at her mother's knees. She died at the very spot where it is now proposed to erect 17 apartments with access to and from the main road within yards of the busiest traffic-controlled junction in Lucan.
As a result of the tragedy, three actions were taken by the authorities:
Bus stops on both sides of the road were moved further from the traffic lights.
A protective railing was installed at the lights.
Flashing warning lights were installed.
This information was withheld from the recent planning application. It is thus new relevant information. The planning application must be looked at again and I call on all politicians, especially those who contribute to the local parish-pump issues, to re-open the case.
Several questions remain unanswered. Why did the planning inquiry ignore the safety aspect? Did they receive a copy of the original accident report and details of the resulting safety measures?
Did the planning authority take into account the massive changes in the area concerned? Since the tragedy there has been a massive increase in student numbers at the four schools in the immediate vicinity. There is a brand-new primary school. The girls' primary school has been extended and modernized and St. Joseph's girls' secondary school has been massively enlarged. All of this within yards of this proposed development. The result is that hundreds of students of all ages converge on the traffic junction within yards of the offensive development.
That traffic from the proposed development should cross the footpath being used by hundreds of schoolchildren is the stuff of nightmares. The primary role of a responsible society is the protection of its children. We the residents of Lucan Heights take our responsibilities very seriously.
Hugh Mulrooney.
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