The owners of Ashtown Stables have said that they are "delighted" after confirmation that The DART+ West project has re-assessed and will go back to consultation, with the stables to remain open.
It comes after a campaign was started to save the beloved stables from closure after Irish Rail under the National Transport Agency proposed to provide a new vehicular road tunnel under the Royal Canal at Ashtown Stables.
However, after feedback from locals during a public consultation in October, Irish Rail re-analysed the option selection process for the provision of a new crossing of the railway canal corridor at Ashtown, due to the closure of the existing railway level crossing.
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Speaking to Dublin Live this week, Kevin Reid, whose family has owned the stables for generations, said that the proposal will go back to consultation and the stables will remain open.
He said: "The current plan is that it goes back to consultation, but it's looking that the stables will stay intact and won't have to close so we're delighted. However, a small part of the land may be used for the new bridge at the level crossing."
Mr Reid thanked everyone who took part in the campaign to save Ashtown Stables, saying: "We've had a huge response from the community, it's been great."
Mr Reid also said that the stables recently welcomed a new foal last Sunday, who is a fourth generation and the great grandson of the famous Sapphire.
Meanwhile, Cllr Seamus McGrattan said the update regarding the DART West project was "great news" for the stables and the community as a whole.
He told Dublin Live: "It's great news for the stables, they will still be slightly affected I think judging from the map but it's great for the area.
"There was a lot of concern about the stables and it would have been a huge loss to the community, but at least now they can continue to operate."
A spokesman for Irish Rail told Dublin Live: "The DART+ West project has re-assessed and re-analysed the option selection process for the provision of a new crossing of the railway & canal corridor at Ashtown, due to the closure of the existing railway level crossing. This was deemed appropriate following the feedback received during Public Consultation No. 2 in 2021. This re-assessment has led to the identification of a revised preferred option for Ashtown taking account of new information and criteria submitted by the public."
The revised preferred option includes:
1. Pedestrian and cycle bridge at the location of Ashtown Station. This provides unhindered 24/7 access for pedestrians, vulnerable users and cyclists along the existing desire line of the Ashtown Road linking Navan Road to Rathborne Village.
2. Vehicular underpass beneath the railway and canal approximately 75m further to the west than the previous preferred option. This will maintain vehicular connectivity for residents and commercial enterprises at Rathborne.
They added: "This revised preferred option largely avoids Ashtown Stables, which was identified as an important local community amenity in a significant number of submissions received during PC2."
A Revised Ashtown preferred option - Option Selection Report has been prepared and will be provided on the project website www.dartplus.ie.
Read more: Campaign launched to save beloved Ashtown Stables from closure as part of rail plans
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