Residents group have called for changes to the Metrolink project to minimise impacts on households along the proposed route.
On the third day of the oral hearings into the project, Seatown Residents Association, based close to Swords village, told An Bord Pleanála inspectors that the ”cut and cover section’’ be moved.
Thomas Lowndes, a resident in the area, addressed the hearing by stating he had been working in the construction industry for 30 years.
He said that residents are concerned about construction noise, which he claimed could lead to health risks for some residents.
Residents were also worried about the volume of the public address system.
According to the project operator, Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), the metro link will travel from Balheary Park, the route is then due to “cut and cover’” under Estuary Roundabout to the west of the R132.
Cut and cover is a common feature of rail and metro lines, where shallow tunnels are dug out and roofed over with an overhead support system.
There is an open cut section through the green area at Seatown Villas, which residents want to be relocated due to concerns about noise from the tunnel.
The station is proposed to be located within the grounds of Hertz Europe Service Centre which TII says is conveniently located beside the junction of Seatown Road and the R132 and serves the residential areas of north Swords as well as local retail and business parks.
Seatown Villa Residents say noise reduction screens will be installed around the construction for the duration of the project – 51 months in total.
Several residents in east facing homes will be just ten metres away from screens, which they say will block natural light and keep their homes shaded for long periods of the day.
They also raised potential noise issues from the braking of trains as they enter the station.
In response, TII said they are complying with international best practice guidelines within a distance of 762 metres between stops and therefore TII wishes to keep the cut and cover section near Seatown villas.
This is also to facilitate Dublin Fire Brigade so they have speedy access to the site in the event of an emergency.
Residents asked TII if they had a letter from Dublin Fire Brigade requiring that the section at Seatown be shorter than the recommended distance of 762 metres.
TII said they did not have a letter at this stage but officials have had discussions with the fire service.
TII said they also needed open areas in sections along the route to ensure proper ventilation.
Seatown residents also raised concerns about the noise levels from HGVs and the impact of general construction noise. TII said all types of noise levels have been modelled into their proposals.
The TII tests in the locality have been fully assessed and the source data comes from measured levels set from British standard data. Some measures in the proposal have been calculated without mitigation and others have been modelled with updated data and mitigation measures, TII said.
Engineers said a balance has been struck between minimising noise and the acoustic measures that will be put in place, including four metre screens at some points, the size of a two storey house.
Seatown residents said TII were ‘’sacrificing light for noise’’.
TII says the acoustic noise levels are below threshold levels.
Read more: South Dublin TD calls for MetroLink terminus to be moved
‘Please, please, build it’ – Senator
Lorraine Clifford-Lee, a Fianna Fail Senator in Dublin Fingal, said the Metrolink is ”one of the most important infrastructure projects since the foundation of the state and the biggest transport initiative in the history of state.’’
Ms Cifford-Lee told the oral hearings into the project that there are obvious benefits for Swords but also for surrounding areas including Balbriggan, Rush, Lusk and Skerries.
She said delivery of the service should be a top priority and the lack of a rail service has resulted in increased congestion, pollution and lower quality of life for communities of north county Dublin.
‘’For too long the metro has been a pipedream and the quality of life for those depending on it is falling each year,’’ she told the An Bord Pleanála hearing
“It is very easy for retired economists living on the southside of the city to say the benefits of metro have been exaggerated.’’
Senator Clifford-Lee said she could talk about the positive effects of metro all day long adding that over the years ‘’many people have lost hope and you wouldn’t blame them”.
She described the oral hearing as a pivotal point.
“It’s improtant that those living in north county Dublin are heard – we need the metro,” she said.
“Please, please build it.’’
