College Green plaza plan shot down by An Bord Pleanála
DUBLIN City Council’s plans for a tree-lined plaza on College Green have been rejected – putting a stop to their most ambitious pedestrianisation plan.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar tweeted his disappointment at An Bord Pleanála’s decision, saying that he hopes the council can work out a ‘revised proposal’.
The plaza was designed to show off the beauty of Trinity College, and to allow people to walk between Grafton Street and Westmoreland Street without traffic interruption. The proposal would have seen buses coming down Dame Street turning before the plaza, which would have stopped traffic travelling from Dame Street to O’Connell Street.
In its decision yesterday, An Bord Pleanála cited poor traffic management and the plaza’s effect on the Metro North and Dart projects as reasons for its refusal. Breda Gannon, an inspector with An Bord Pleanála, said the proposal lacked clarity regarding the possible impact on traffic. She added: ‘The proposal will result in the relocation of buses onto the Quays and it has not been demonstrated that the Quays have the capacity.’
Green Party Councillor Roderic O’Gorman was disappointed plans for the pedestrian zone had been rejected, leaving Dubliners without a place to ‘congregate without dodging cars and buses’.
He said: ‘I think the plaza was a really positive development for the city centre. Most modern cities have a similar space and Dublin is really lacking.’
He said he would like to see the council and Dublin Bus come to an agreement on a way to have cross-city bus routes avoiding the College Green area.
A DublinTown spokesman, said: ‘It is clear that Dublin city centre needs a world class city centre civic space’ but stressed the need for greater coordination and planning around traffic interventions.
Business group Dublin Chamber had opposed the plans. Graeme McQueen, Dublin Chamber’s head of public affairs, said: ‘The traffic situation in Dublin, particularly around the core city centre, remains a daily problem for Dubliners that is significantly eroding people’s quality of life. An Bord’s decision is a result of decades of poor planning and significant under-investment in the city’s public transport network.
‘The decision to repeatedly kick key projects such as Metro North and Dart Underground down the road is now coming home to roost. Having those pieces of infrastructure in place would make projects such as a plaza at College Green infinitely more possible.’
He also said Dublin Chamber was supportive of a pedestrianised plaza at College Green, but that it was not convinced by the plans put forward. He added: ‘We remain supportive of more pedestrianised areas in Dublin. We absolutely need them.’
‘Traffic is a daily problem’