Fingal County Council is inviting the public to view and respond to the preferred route for the Sutton to Malahide Pedestrian and Cycle Scheme. This amenity will offer a safe and attractive route to walk and cycle between Sutton, Baldoyle, Portmarnock and Malahide connecting local people to schools, shops, businesses and public transport. The proposed 7.5km scheme is supported and funded by the National Transport Authority and represents an investment of over €20m in Fingal. The route will form a key part of the NTA’s Greater Dublin Area Cycle Network and will link into existing walking and cycling facilities at the Baldoyle to Portmarnock Greenway and onwards to the S2S and the Clontarf-City Centre Cycle Routes.
Following Feasibility and Constraints Assessments and a Route Options Public Consultation, which took place in 2017, the project team have now published the preferred route for Public Consultation.
The scheme design will allow people of all ages and mobility levels to travel safely between these coastal towns while enjoying the scenic coastline along the route.
Mayor of Fingal, Councillor Seána Ó Rodaigh, welcomed the opening of the consultation. ‘The Sutton to Malahide Pedestrian and Cycle Scheme will offer a safe, climate-friendly way to travel to school, work or the local shops for those living in the area. I’m very pleased to see the development of this important cycling and walking infrastructure that both promotes a healthy, active lifestyle while nurturing the connection between Sutton, Baldoyle, Portmarnock and Malahide and will help sustainably support the growth of these coastal communities. ‘
Director of Planning & Strategic Infrastructure for Fingal County Council, Matthew McAleese, says the scheme will improve the local environment and provide benefits for residents, businesses and visitors to the area; ‘The Sutton to Malahide Pedestrian and Cycle Scheme will bring positive changes for each of the areas it connects, making it easier to travel from one town to another by walking or cycling as well as providing an attractive coastal amenity that can be enjoyed by everyone, including visitors to the area, regardless of their level of cycling confidence. It will also improve links to the wider cycling and public transport network across Fingal. We are looking forward to hearing what the public have to say on the route we have brought forward’.
The public consultation will remain open until 09 May so that all members of the community have a chance to share their views. Those interested in making a submission are encouraged to visit consult.fingal.ie where they can view detailed scheme designs and share their comments. Postal submissions will also be accepted and details of how to make such a submission are also available online. If making a postal submission the public is encouraged to mark it clearly as a response to the Sutton to Malahide Pedestrian and Cycle Scheme. All submissions must be received no later than 23.59hrs, 09 May 2022.
Following the closure of this Public Consultation on 09 May, the project team will consider all submissions as they finalise the preliminary design for the scheme. A planning application is expected to be submitted to An Bord Pleanála in 2023.
