Newlands Cross Upgrade EIS - European Investment Bank

South Dublin County Council N7 Newlands Cross Upgrade
Environmental Impact Statement
Arup Consulting Engineers
3.11.4 Receiving Environment
The subject site is located on the Naas Road (N7) at the junction with the Fonthill / Belgard
Road (R113).
It is a heavily trafficked crossroads being a National Road servicing the south and south-west
of the country, the commuter belt to the south west of Dublin as well as taking the large
volumes of traffic using the north to south link between the Clondalkin and Tallaght areas.
3.11.5 Topography
The ground levels on this sector of the Naas roadway (N7) are similar to the surrounding
lands, i.e. the existing road is generally on-grade. The road level rises gradually in an east -
west direction from ground levels at approximately 74 metres O.D. rising to a height of
approximately 90 metres O.D. at the western end of the subject roadway corridor.
3.11.6 Existing Vegetation
Tree planting along the Naas roadway (N7) itself is confined to some isolated lines of tree
planting along the median to the east of the road junction, while there are no trees planted on
the grassed median to the west.
There are other significant stands of trees on the adjacent lands to the north and south of the
N7 road corridor as follows:
• Tree planting along the boundaries of Newlands Golf Course to the south-west of the
crossroads.
• Tree planting along the boundaries of the derelict site immediately to the south-east of the
crossroads.
• Tree planting to the boundary of the large residence south of the junction along the
Belgard Road (R113).
• Tree planting located along the boundaries between the two open spaces to the north-west
and the Naas road corridor (N7).
• Tree planting on the open space located immediately to the north east of the junction.
• The tree planting in the rear gardens of the houses located to the north- east backing on to
the Naas Road corridor (N7).
3.11.7 Land Use
To the north of the N7 road corridor lies the southern edge of the Clondalkin area, consisting
primarily of residential housing with local services in the form of schools, shopping centres,
sports grounds etc.
Located immediately to the north of the Naas Road / Fonthill Road junction are Bewleys
Hotel and a car showroom to the west of the Fonthill Road. Further to the west there are two
linear strips of open space divided by Boot Road, servicing the residential housing estates of
Bushfield behind. Further west is the high visual amenity area of Corkagh Demesne with its
fishing lakes, sports facilities, walks etc.
To the east of the Fonthill Road there is a small open space linking on to the residential area
to the north-west. There is also a small retail centre and a garden centre located along the
Fonthill Road to the north of the crossroads. To the east of the open space there is an existing
office development, a car showroom, a row of mature residential two-storey housing and an
industrial development accessed off a slip road off the N7. Further to the east is an existing
agricultural open space (zoned for Objective E “To provide for Enterprise and Employment
and Related Uses” in the South Dublin County Council Development Plan 2004 – 2010) and
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