Frequently Asked Questions - Sutton to Malahide Pedestrian & Cycle Scheme

The Sutton to Malahide Pedestrian and Cycle Scheme is a high quality pedestrian and cycle route that is being developed by Fingal County Council with support from the National Transport Authority. It will connect Sutton, Malahide, Baldoyle and Portmarnock. The Proposed Scheme will improve accessibility and connectivity between these four towns and villages and provide an attractive route for walking and cycling. It will be designed to be used for recreation and leisure purposes and travel to local schools, train stations, sports clubs and commuting.

Everyone will be able to enjoy the full length of the Sutton to Malahide Pedestrian and Cycle Scheme. It will be designed so that people of all ages and mobility levels can travel safely on foot, by scooter, by wheelchair and bike, and will offer a route separated from on road vehicles for maximum safety and comfort.

The Proposed Scheme is now at the Preliminary Design Stage and is being presented for Public Consultation. Following your feedback during this exercise, further design and assessment, including an environmental impact assessment, will be undertaken on the finalised scheme. A planning submission is expected to be made to An Bord Pleanála in 2023. This careful design, planning and development process allows us to provide a route of the highest quality which considers the needs of all users as much as possible.

The purpose of this consultation process is to present to the public the Proposed Scheme design that has been developed so far and to collect your feedback through submissions and an online questionnaire. This feedback will then be used to inform the design team of any design changes prior to submitting to An Bord Pleanála for approval. It also allows us to best understand the views and needs of those who will use the scheme.

In order to reach completion and opening of the Proposed Scheme there are many milestones to be achieved. The first of these is to submit a planning application to An Bord Pleanála. The current programme indicates that a planning application can be submitted in 2023. The timeframe for decision by An Bord Pleanála can be up to two years, and construction is likely to take a further two years.

This is a complex and challenging scheme of over 8km involving works across a live railway, through a protected Special Area of Conservation, other sensitive habitats and a number of busy urban areas. Construction will be undertaken in the most sensitive manner possible, and the exact phasing of works will be dependent on the detailed design and environmental assessment of the Proposed Scheme. However, for a scheme of this scale and complexity, a construction period of two years is likely.

The Proposed Scheme aims to avoid impacting private property however impacts on some properties will be unavoidable where, for example, there are width constraints and there is no feasible alternative. In most cases this will involve procuring a narrow strip of the front garden of affected properties through negotiated land acquisition or Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO). In these cases, the Proposed Scheme seeks to minimise impacts and only procure land where strictly necessary. It is the preference that such land acquisition is undertaken through negotiation with the land owner, and we have already contacted landowners who may be affected by this scheme to begin those conversations. Accommodation works are agreed with individual landowners at the detailed design stage, however the options available may vary depending on the location and proximity to environmental and heritage features. If you are concerned that your property is likely to be affected by the scheme and have not yet been contacted by someone from our project team, please contact us using the contact details on the consultation portal website.

Lighting will be provided along the entire Proposed Scheme. This will include the provision of new lighting standards and the upgrade of existing lighting standards where possible. The lighting will be designed to be sensitive to ecology such as bats, birds and other mammals. The lighting standards will also be sympathetic to the local heritage context of the route. The Proposed Scheme will also be future proofed to allow for the possible future provision of CCTV.

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 Sutton to Sandycove Scheme and the Clontarf-City Centre Cycle Routes. Fingal County Council is also progressing the Broadmeadow Way across Malahide Estuary and the Fingal Coastal Way from Donabate to Balbriggan.

We welcome in particular the views of the local community on how the scheme can potentially contribute to an improved public realm along the route.

Public realm proposals have been developed for Baldoyle Promenade, Portmarnock Village, Velvet Strand Promenade as well as The Green, Strand Court and Strand Street in Malahide. These proposals will include a mix of seating, planters, new trees, bicycle racks, street lighting and other street furniture. There will be a consistent theme throughout the landscape proposals in terms of high quality materials to fit into the receiving sensitive environments.

The Proposed Scheme design has been developed to avoid or minimise impacts on the environment wherever this can reasonably be achieved. The scheme designers and environmental consultants are working closely together, and the finalised scheme design will likely go through a formal Environmental Impact Assessment and Appropriate Assessment process as part of the planning application to An Bord Pleanála. These assessments will be underpinned by recent environmental surveys, historic data and information collated over several years. The designers have also been especially conscious to develop a scheme design that avoids or minimises negative impacts on local businesses and properties, green areas, existing grass verges, hedgerows and trees.

Some people have looked at the scheme virtual video and queried if there is space for cyclists and pedestrians along the promenade at Baldoyle. The video is a visual concept and the final format at this location will be subject to more detailed engineering and design to ensure a safe and comfortable environment for all users.

The section of the route along Baldoyle Promenade is proposed to comprise of a wide shared cycle / footpath arrangement. This area will maintain a minimum 3.5m wide through route for pedestrians and cyclists and will also incorporate seating and planting at regular intervals. The planting and seating elements will be positioned in a staggered arrangement along the edges of the shared path to create interest along this relative straight section and offer opportunities for stopping and appreciating the surroundings and amenity of Baldoyle Estuary.

Notwithstanding, it is acknowledged that there is also a commuter function to the route along Baldoyle Promenade particularly in its connection with Sutton Station.  With the proposed set back of the low wall along the promenade closer to the street carriageway, there would be scope to provide a segregated two way cycle track with adjacent footpath along the majority of the promenade that could potentially better serve the commuter aspect along this section.

Depending on feedback obtained during the course of the public consultation period, the potential for this alternative option and its impact on the integration of landscape proposals and features along the promenade will be explored further.