​On 7th November 2026 the Big Boden hike is taking place in Wicklow. Around 200 mothers are fundraising to refurbish the all weather pitch in Sancta Maria for Ballyboden St Enda’s . We are asking the community to hold on to their plastic bottles / cans so they can be redeemed for cash to put towards this worthy cause. We will collect bottles this Saturday 17th October between 1.30pm and 3.30pm
Many thanks in advance , Ciara

Here at Prospect Manor, we have always taken immense pride in the unique charm and pristine appearance of our beloved estate. From our beautiful tree-lined roads off Stocking Lane to our well-kept homes, our community has a long history of standing out. After all, our collective dedication to upkeep has previously earned us the titles of "Best Estate in South Dublin" and "Best Presented Housing Estate."

To continue that proud tradition, the Residents Association is thrilled to announce that we are bringing a fresh splash of colour to the heart of our neighbourhood!
Starting this week, brand new seasonal flowers will be planted in the beds on the central green. We have carefully selected vibrant, hardy blooms that will not only brighten up the shared space but also perfectly complement the natural beauty of our surroundings.
Whether you are taking a morning stroll, enjoying the view from your window, or just passing through, we hope these new floral displays add a little extra joy to your day.
A beautifully maintained estate is a team effort. We encourage all residents to enjoy the new blooms and continue to take pride in the shared spaces that make Prospect Manor such a wonderful, award-winning place to call home.
Stay tuned for more updates from the Residents Association as we work together to keep our estate looking its absolute best!

Our long-time resident dog, Woodie, has passed away peacefully and moved on to dog heaven. For many years he brought quiet companionship to Prospect Manor—greeting people with a friendly wag, joining gentle walks around the grounds, and settling in for naps wherever someone needed a warm presence. We remember his easygoing nature, the way he always seemed to know who could use a little extra company, and the simple joy he added to daily life here. Woodie was a good boy who lived a happy life surrounded by friends, and we’ll look back on him with fondness and appreciation. Rest well, Woodie.

South Dublin County Council are proposing road narrowing on Scholarstown Road and surrounding areas as a 'traffic calming' measure. Traffic in the local area is increasing all the time, and with new housing developments on Stocking Lane, this measure will add to already increasing long commutes for workers and parents trying to drop children to school or childcare. Could the residents association encourage residents to submit their feedback on the proposal?

https://consult.sdublincoco.ie/en/content/knocklyon-ballyboden-active-and-sustainable-travel-scheme
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Argument against road narrowing on Scholarstown Road as part of the Knocklyon-Ballyboden Active and Sustainable Travel Scheme

The South Dublin County Council (SDCC) proposal includes road narrowing on Scholarstown Road and surrounding roads (Firhouse Road, Knocklyon Road, Templeroan Road, Ballyboden Road, etc.) primarily as a traffic calming measure. This supports segregated kerb-protected cycle lanes, raised entry treatments at side roads, continuous footpaths, new permeability links, Safe Routes to School measures, planting, and trees. The stated goals are to improve safety for vulnerable road users (especially near schools), enhance the public realm, promote walking/cycling, and reduce bus delays.

While these aims are worthwhile, road narrowing risks worsening existing and growing traffic problems in Knocklyon/Ballyboden. Traffic volumes are rising due to ongoing residential development, and narrowing lanes reduces road capacity. This can lead to longer queues, slower average speeds (beyond the intended calming), increased idling emissions, driver frustration, and spillover congestion onto parallel routes.

​Key concerns:

• Rising traffic demand from new housing — Developments like White Pines Central (114 apartments) and earlier permissions (e.g., 99 houses on Stocking South/Stocking Lane area) add hundreds of households and vehicles. Traffic assessments for these projects acknowledge impacts on the local network, including Scholarstown Road routes. Narrowing now compounds pressure without corresponding capacity increases elsewhere.
• Commuter and family impacts — Many residents commute by car to work or drop children at schools/childcare (e.g., near Gaelscoil Chnoc Liamhna, St. Colmcille's schools, Sancta Maria College). Longer journey times increase stress, childcare costs (late pick-ups), and fuel expenses. Peak-hour congestion already affects the area, and narrowing exacerbates this during school runs and rush hours.
• Buses and emergency services — Narrowing and calming can delay buses (counter to one stated goal) and slow emergency response times in a growing suburb.
• Safety trade-offs — Traffic calming slows vehicles but may increase rear-end collisions in queues or encourage rat-running on residential side streets. Previous changes (e.g., shared paths near Orlagh Grove roundabout and junction upgrades) already generated traffic concerns among locals. Without publicly detailed recent accident or speeding data specific to Scholarstown Road justifying narrowing over alternatives (e.g., speed enforcement cameras, better junction timing), the measure appears disproportionate.
• Equity and practicality — Not all trips suit cycling/walking due to distances, weather, family needs, or shift work. Poor public transport alternatives force car reliance. Funds could prioritize bus priority lanes, park-and-ride expansions, or M50 junction improvements.

Alternatives worth considering:

• Optimise signals and roundabouts (e.g., Orlagh Grove/Scholarstown Road) for better flow.
• Enhance enforcement of existing speed limits.
• Accelerate BusConnects or local bus frequency/capacity upgrades.
• Add dedicated bus lanes or clearways on key arterials.
• Require new developments to fund road capacity upgrades or sustainable transport contributions.
• Pilot reversible lanes or peak-hour management instead of permanent narrowing.

Recommendation for the Residents Association: Encourage all residents to submit individual feedback via the official consultation portal. Collective submissions carry weight, but personalised comments (detailing personal commute impacts, school runs, or observed congestion) are most effective. The consultation is open 30 January 2026 – 13 March 2026.
Sample feedback text (copy/edit and submit at the portal): "I object to the proposed road narrowing on Scholarstown Road (and linked roads) in the Knocklyon-Ballyboden Active and Sustainable Travel Scheme. While I support safer cycling/pedestrian facilities, narrowing reduces capacity on roads already under pressure from rising traffic and new housing developments on Stocking Lane/White Pines (adding hundreds of units and vehicles). This will worsen congestion, extend commute times for workers and parents doing school/childcare runs, delay buses, and potentially create new safety issues from queuing. Please provide detailed traffic volume, accident, and journey time modelling data showing net benefits. Consider alternatives like signal optimisation, bus priority, enforcement, and capacity enhancements instead of permanent narrowing. Full scheme drawings and impacts should be more transparently assessed before approval."
How to submit:

• Go to: https://consult.sdublincoco.ie/en/content/knocklyon-ballyboden-active-and-sustainable-travel-scheme
• Use the online survey or upload a written submission (include drawings/comments on specific sections of Scholarstown Road).

The Residents Association could: circulate this via email/noticeboard, host an information meeting before mid-February, create a simple petition template, or invite a council representative for Q&A. Individual submissions are crucial—volume of objections often influences Part VIII decisions.
Review the full plans/video on the portal and base feedback on personal experience for maximum impact. This is an opportunity to push for balanced infrastructure that doesn't penalise existing road users amid growth.

​Objection to Proposed Single-Lane Configuration
Taylor’s Lane / Scholarstown Road Roundabout
Knocklyon to Ballyboden Active & Sustainable Travel Scheme

1. Introduction and Context
I am a resident of a nearby estate who relies on private car transport for daily commuting and
school-related journeys. I support the objectives of the Active and Sustainable Travel Scheme,
particularly improvements to pedestrian and cyclist safety and measures intended to protect school
children.
However, I have concerns regarding the proposed narrowing of the Taylor’s Lane/Scholarstown Road
roundabout to single-lane operation, which risks creating disproportionate impacts on local
residents while not demonstrably improving safety outcomes in a balanced or context-sensitive
manner.
2. Function of the Taylor’s Lane/Scholarstown Road Roundabout
This roundabout performs a strategic local movement function, accommodating:
 commuter traffic from surrounding residential estates,
 school-related traffic associated with nearby primary and secondary schools,
 bus movements and local servicing traffic.
Its existing geometry provides necessary peak-hour capacity, particularly during morning and
afternoon school periods. The proposed reduction to a single circulating lane represents a
permanent reduction in junction capacity, rather than a minor or reversible traffic-calming measure.
3. Impact on Car-Dependent Residents
While modal shift is an important policy objective, it is not achievable for all residents in this area.
Many households:
 work in locations not well served by public transport,
 have shift patterns or caring responsibilities,
 require car use for school drop-off, special needs transport, or multi-stop trips.
The proposed configuration risks:
 increased peak-hour queuing on Scholarstown Road and Taylor’s Lane,
 traffic backing up toward school entrances and access points,
 diversion of traffic into quieter residential streets as drivers seek to avoid delay.
These impacts would disproportionately affect residents who cannot reasonably switch travel
modes, raising concerns regarding equity and fairness in the reallocation of road space.
4. School Safety – A Broader View
The stated aim of improving safety for school children is fully supported. However, safety must be
assessed holistically, not solely through reductions in vehicle speed.

Excessive queuing and congestion near schools can:
 increase driver frustration and unpredictable behaviour,
 lengthen exposure times for children crossing near stationary or stop–start traffic,
 displace set-down activity into less suitable residential locations.
A design that reduces speed but significantly increases congestion and queuing may not deliver a net
safety benefit during critical school peak periods.
5. Balance and Proportionality under DMURS
The Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets (DMURS) emphasises that street and junction
design should be:
 context-sensitive,
 balanced between different users, and
 proportionate to function and demand, rather than applying a single design solution
universally.
In this case, the proposed single-lane roundabout appears to prioritise geometric simplification over:
 the established traffic function of the junction,
 peak-hour and school-time operational conditions,
 the needs of residents who depend on reliable vehicular access.
DMURS explicitly allows for flexibility and professional judgement where a street or junction
performs an important movement function. A blanket reduction in capacity at this location risks
falling outside that guidance.

6. Request for a More Balanced Approach
Rather than opposing the scheme in principle, I respectfully request that South Dublin County
Council:
re-examine the roundabout design using specific modelling of school-time peak conditions;
consider hybrid or modified layouts that retain necessary capacity while still improving pedestrian
and cyclist safety;
assess whether alternative measures—such as targeted crossings, time-based traffic management,
or partial flaring—could achieve safety objectives without a full single-lane downgrade.
7. Conclusion
In summary, while the safety and active travel objectives of the scheme are supported, the proposed
narrowing of the Taylor’s Lane/Scholarstown Road roundabout risks creating disproportionate
congestion and unintended safety impacts for nearby residents and school communities. A more
nuanced, DMURS-compliant design response would better balance the needs of all road users and
reflect the specific context and function of this important local junction.

The Ballyboden St Endas Christmas Tree collection will take place on Saturday 10th January.
This is our 13th year, and is very popular amongst the local Community.
If anyone would like their tree collected they just message 087 9312851 with their name and address. I also attach the poster advertising it.
Many thanks in advance, wishing you all a great 2026!
Gerry White
087 9312851