Plans are moving forward for a new coastal route in Dublin which will connect villages and towns along the coastline of north Fingal.

The Fingal Coastal Way project will deliver a recreational walking and cycling route connecting Donabate, Rush, Skerries, Ardgillan Castle, Balbriggan and Bremore Castle.

Multi-disciplinary consultancy Atkins will work with Fingal County Council to carry out the feasibility study, route options and environmental assessment and preliminary design work over a three-year programme.

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The 32km greenway will link into the proposed Broadmeadow Way, which will connect Donabate and Malahide and for which a planning application is due to be submitted to An Bord Pleanala in June. To the north there are plans to develop a greenway route in County Meath running northwards to Drogheda, the Boyne Valley Way and the prehistoric sites at Bru na Boinne/Newgrange.

Paul Carroll, Senior Engineer Strategic Infrastructure Fingal County Council commented: "The benefits that greenways can deliver to communities are considerable in terms of climate change, economic development and leisure amenity. The greenway will form part of a developing network of greenways within Fingal, providing a link into the S2S Sutton to Sandycove scheme and encouraging sustainable transport for commuting and leisure."

Route options selection will take place through 2019 followed by a public consultation exercise in early 2020.

Work is expected to continue through 2020 and early 2021, with a planning application target date of late 2021.

(CM/MH)