DP Crossroads has launched a newly revamped website, providing residents with a clearer and more accessible picture of the campaign’s work over the past three years and the continuing challenge of ensuring that community infrastructure keeps pace with the rapid growth of Donabate and Portrane.

Established in late 2023, DP Crossroads began with a campaign for the delivery of a dedicated Youth, Arts & Cultural Centre for the peninsula. Since then, its work has developed into a broader campaign for balanced and sustainable growth, with a consistent message: new housing and the infrastructure needed to support it must be delivered together.

The redesigned website brings that story together through a new visual “Our Journey 2023–2026” section, highlighting key moments from three years of community action. These include community surveys, the development of a business case, public information events and meetings, more than 2,000 petition signatures, engagement with Fingal County Council and elected representatives, national media coverage, planning submissions and appeals, and continued scrutiny of major development and infrastructure proposals.

The site also puts the scale of change taking place across the peninsula into sharper focus. Donabate and Portrane had a population of approximately 5,000 at the beginning of the century. Today, with thousands of additional homes built, under construction or planned, the population is expected to continue growing substantially to top 20,000 residents by 2029.

“The houses are being delivered. The question we continue to ask is: where is the community infrastructure?” said a Ann Hogan, Chair of DP Crossroads.

Young people remain at the heart of the campaign. DP Crossroads’ community research found that 31% of the local population was under 19, while 84% of respondents supported a dedicated Youth Centre and **83% said there were insufficient safe places locally for young people to spend time.

The revamped website also explains the wider need for appropriate spaces for arts, culture and community activity; places where local organisations can rehearse, perform, create, meet and bring people together.

DP Crossroads said the redesign was also an opportunity to make its position particularly clear.

“We are a voluntary, independent and non-politically affiliated group of residents. We are not opposed to housing or development. We support investment in schools, sports, transport and other essential infrastructure. What we have consistently challenged is the idea that communities should have to choose between them.”

The group said that while much has happened since the campaign began, its central objective remains unresolved.

“Three years on, Donabate and Portrane still do not have the dedicated Youth, Arts & Cultural Centre that our growing community was promised by FCC. In fact, we now have LESS indoor infrastructure per capita than ever before. We will continue to research, question, engage and campaign for infrastructure appropriate to the population our peninsula is becoming.”

The new website brings together campaign updates, research, publications, planning information and the story of DP Crossroads’ activities since 2023, providing residents with an accessible record of both what has happened and what remains to be delivered.