Two townlands west of Balbriggan – Stephenstown and Folsktown Little – could provide up to 1,200 jobs in the future, according to the council's plans for them.
Fingal county councillors approved the construction of roads and roundabouts in Stephenstown at their full monthly council meeting on Monday evening.
Stephenstown, and its neighbouring townland Folkstown Little, lie about 1.3 km west of Balbriggan. They're largely agricultural lands, but the council is prepping to redevelop them as a new "employment zone".
The plan for Stephenstown is to provide employment in manufacturing of high technology, and “major office and research and development based employment” within accessible campus-style settings.
At the same time, itself and Folkstown Little are zoned for “general employment”, with the plan listing them as potential lands for construction yards, civic waste facilities, and food processing.
The roads and such are the first stage in council’s framework plan for Stephenstown, Ciara O hAodha, a council senior executive, told the Balbriggan/Rush-Lusk/Swords Area Committee on Thursday.
The scheme will open up 22 hectares of land, she said. “And on the conclusion will provide access to 1,200 jobs for Stephenstown, Balbriggan and the wider area.”
The infrastructure proposed right now by the council includes a new two-lane single carriageway with cycle lanes and footpaths, single-lane mini roundabouts and a dual-lane roundabout, says a report from Fingal's chief executive, AnnMarie Farrelly.
It also proposes surface-water drainage, four new bus stops, and pedestrian and cyclist crossings at all of its junctions, the report says.
It is a plan to deliver “plug-and-play serviced sites” in the area, said independent Councillor Tony Murphy, Fingal's Mayor, at Thursday’s area committee meeting.
“Are there any companies that are knocking at the door at the moment that we are compromised in not being able to offer opportunities at the moment as a consequence of not having this 10 years ago?” he said.
There are companies negotiating sites at the moment, O hAodha said. “This would further progress those negotiations, which would be good for ourselves and obviously the organisation and the county.”
Once the plan is approved, the council will commence the procurement process, she said. “And push that through before the end of the year, and we would hope to be in a position to commence development of the road infrastructure in 2027.”
Funding for the project is captured in the council’s capital programme for 2027 to 2029, and is estimated at €9 million, O hAodha said at the monthly full council meeting on Monday.
The proposal was agreed by the council.
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