I am a resident of Seven Mills, Clonburris. I support improved walking and cycling infrastructure; however, I strongly object to the proposed downgrading of the north-south vehicular link under Amendments 3 and 4 to pedestrian and cycle access only.
The Fonthill Road North junction serving Seven Mills is already a significant bottleneck at peak times. I have personally experienced substantial queues when leaving the development in the morning, with vehicles sometimes waiting through several full sequences of the traffic lights simply to exit the estate. This is happening while Seven Mills is still under development and will only come under greater pressure as further phases are completed and occupied.
I am also concerned about resilience and emergency access. If Fonthill Road North is heavily congested or obstructed, retaining an alternative vehicular route across the railway could provide important additional access for emergency vehicles rather than leaving the development increasingly dependent on an already constrained route. Forcing necessary car journeys onto the already congested Fonthill Road North would also create longer journeys, increased idling and unnecessary vehicle emissions, which appears contrary to the sustainability objectives of the development.
I appreciate that residents immediately adjacent to the proposed bridge may have concerns about traffic close to their homes. However, removing the vehicular bridge does not remove that traffic; it simply redirects it past other residents' homes and towards the already congested Fonthill Road North junction. The interests of residents beside the bridge should be balanced against the impact of displaced traffic on other residents and the wider community.
Removing the bridge would also reduce internal connectivity within Clonburris. As further residential, retail and community facilities are developed, residents should not have to leave the development and travel via Fonthill Road North simply to reach another part of their own community.
This is also an accessibility issue. A pedestrian and cycle bridge is not an equivalent substitute for residents with limited mobility, disabled or older residents, or anyone else who needs to travel by car. Removing vehicular access could force them to take a considerably longer route via Fonthill Road North to reach facilities on the opposite side of the railway.
I therefore ask the Council to retain north-south vehicular connectivity across the railway alongside safe pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, and to consider the wider traffic, emergency access, accessibility and residential impacts of removing this link.