Our Ref: 29N.PA0043 P.A.Reg.Ref:

Your Ref:

Anne Lowen 10 Mayfield Road Kilmninham Dublin 8

30th September 2015

Dear Madam,

Re: Health Infrastructure Development comprising National Paediatric Hospital, Innovation Centre and Family Accommodation Unit at St James' Hospital Campus, Satellite Centres at Tallaght & Connolly Hospitals and Construction Compound at Davitt Road, Dublin.

An Bord Pleanala

An Bord Pleamila has received your recent submission in relation to the above mentioned proposed development and will take it into consideration in its determination of the matter. A receipt for the fee lodged is enclosed.

The Board will revert to you in due course with regard to the matter.

Please be advised that copies of all submissions I observations received in relation to the application will be made available for public inspection at the offices of Dublin City Council, Fingal County Council and South Dublin County Council and at the offices of An Bord Pleanala when they have been processed by the Board.

If you have any queries in the meantime please contact the undersigned officer of the Board. Please quote the above mentioned An Bord Pleanala reference number in any correspondence or telephone contact with the Board.

Yours faithfully,

~,sib:~ Kieran Somers Executive Officer Direct Line:O 1-873 7107

En cis.

ADHOC/PA0043/0 1

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ANNE LOWEN

10 MAYFIELD ROAD, KILMAINHAM, DUBLIN 8

To: The Secretary, An Bord Pleanala, 64 Marlborough St Dublin 1 AN BORD PLE~A

Re: Case Ref: Pl29N. PA0043 New Children's Hospital at StJames's He ~J~~f BV ~ OBSERVATION RE NATIONAL CHILDREN$' HOSPITAL 2 8 SEP 2015

LTR·DATEO FROM e_~ MY OBSERVATION IS THAT THIS APPEARS TO B A POORLY PLANNED, E<: 'f;fRIVEN PR9JECT. ---1

IT HAS BEEN CONCEIVED AS A PROJECT IN ISOLATION FROM THE REALITIES OF AN EXISTING

COMMUNITY. OUR COMMUNITY FUNCTIONS LIKE ANY OTHER- WITH POSITIVE ASPECTS AND

NEGATIVE ASPECTS. ONE OF THE POSITIVE ASPECTS IS OUR PROXIMITY TO THE CITY CENTRE. THIS IS

BEING EXPLOITED AND THE MAJOR NEGATIVE ASPECTS- POOR ACCESS TO OUR COMMUNITY, POOR

AIR QUALITY AND SEEMINGLY ENDLESS TRAFFIC JAMS- WILL BE COMPOUNDED IF THIS HOSPITAL

GOES AHEAD. HOW WILL CHILDREN- FROM ALL OVER IRELAND- ACCESS THE ALREADY

INACCESSIBLE?

I ASKED THIS QUESTION AT EVERY ONE OF THE INFORMATION SESSIONS HELD IN F2 BY THE

ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS. THEY HAD NO ANSWER, MADE NO ATTEMPT TO PRETEND THEY HAD

AN ANSWER AND GOT ANNOYED AT THE TEMERITY OF ANYONE TO QUESTION THEIR

PROFESSIONALISM. THEY REFUSED TO COUNTENANCE A QUITE LEGITIMATE QUESTION REGARDING

ACCESS FROM ANY OTHER ASPECT -IN PARTICULAR FROM THE SOUTH-EAST CORNER- CITING THE

LUAS AS A PROBLELM.

THESE SAME ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS, HAVING THEIR PLAN FOR THE MATER REJECTED, ARE, I

BELIEVE, IN RECEIPT OF A FEE OF €40MILLION FOR THAT FAILED PROJECT. THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY

WOULD HAVE GONE A LONG WAY IN PROVIDING AND EXPANDING SERVICES TO CHILDRENS'

HEALTH ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.

SURELY ACCESS TO A BUILDING FOR ITS USERS IS FUNDAMENTAL TO THE PLANS? INSTEAD OF

COMING UP WITH A VIABLE, CREATIVE SOLUTION, THE ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS HAVE USED

EXISTING ROADS AND ENTRANCES, ORIGINALLY BUILT WHEN TRAFFIC WAS MOSTLY HORSE-DRAWN.

WE WERE ASSURED -IN A MOST PATRONISING MANNER- DURING EACH OF THE f2 SESSIONS­

THAT THE TRAFFIC PROBLEM WOULD NOT BE EXACERBATED. THE PROPOSED HOSPITAL WILL HAVE

APPROXIMATELY 500 BEDS AND ADDITIONAL OUTPATIENTS, BRINGING UPWARDS OF 1, 500 EXTRA

CARS IN TO THE AREA ON A DAILY BASIS- AND THIS WILL HAVE NO IMPACT?

THE NCH "DROP IN" INFORMATION SESSIONS WERE NOTHING MORE THAN A CYNICAL MARKETING

EXERCISE. THE SCALE MODELS WERE SHOWN ONLY IN THE VERY LAST SESSION AND THE FULL

IMPACT HAS BEEN HIDDEN. SO FULL DISCLOSURE WAS NOT FORTHCOMING. I COMPLETELY OBJECT

TO THE IMPOSITION OF THIS HOSPITAL ON OUR COMMUNITY ON THE GROUNDS THAT IF IT GOES

AHEAD IT WILL BE TOO LATE TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEMS OF ACCESS. THERE IS A LACK OF WILL BOTH

FROM THE ARCHITECTS AND THE ENGINEERS AND DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL TO EXPLAIN HOW THE

ACCESS SITUATION WILL BE OVERCOME AND THIS WORRIES ME GREATLY, GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF

OBFUSCATION TO DATE.

WHY WAS A GREEN FIELD SITE ON NEWLANDS CROSS REJECTED -IT HAS ACCESS TO THE N7, MSO,

LUAS AND AMNCH TALLAGHT? WHY IS THE PREFERRED CHOICE OF NCH ALLIANCE AND THE JACK &

JILL FOUNDATION- CONNOLLY HOSPITAL BEING IGNORED? WHY IS THE PLAYER WILLS SITE NOT

BEING CONSIDERED? THERE ARE MANY MORE SUITABLE SITES WITH SUBSTANTIALLY BETTER

ACCESS.

NONE OF THIS IS LOGICAL AND SEEMS, AS I SAID AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS OBSERVATION, DRIVEN

BY EGOS WITH SCANT REGARD FOR REALITY AND RESOURCES.

SIGNED:

AN BORO PLEANALA TIME BY

2 8 SEP 2015 LTR·DATED FROM Pl -- ---1