South Dublin County councillors have voted against a controversial redesign of Lucan village’s Main Street.
On Monday evening they voted for an amendment to the part 8 planning application process which, in effect, scrapped the redesign.
The €2 million investment would have meant the creation of a “shared space” for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers. Electricity poles and cables were to be diverted underground and improved planting, lighting and seating was also envisioned.
However, local businesses and some residents opposed the plans as 10 car parking spaces would have been lost.
Mick Mulhern, the council’s director of land use, planning and transportation, said they had listened to local opinion and had redesigned the plans.
There are 40 spaces on Main Street. If the plan had gone ahead, there would have been 16 left. Fourteen additional spaces would have been introduced within 135m of Main Street.
Mr Mulhern said they had met traders and residents and understood their concerns about the loss in parking. This was why the 14 additional spaces were added to the final design. Three were wheelchair spaces and two “age friendly” to alleviate concerns raised by doctors about elderly patients accessing the GP surgery, according to Mr Mulhern.
Overall, 7,317 submissions were received; 461 of these were made through the online consultation portal. A total of 4,753 paper submissions were received, but the vast majority of these were pro formas, according to Mr Mulhern. Two further submissions had 2,000 signatures and 107.
Mr Mulhern said while he understands business concerns about a loss in footfall, international research shows that urban realm works increase visitors.
He added that there could be no further redesign to add more parking spaces.
Council chief executive Danny McLoughlin said the plan has been viewed as “some sort of aberration” when it is a significant investment. He added that if the project is not wanted in Lucan, the money should be spent elsewhere.
Councillors react
The amendment to reject the plans was proposed by Cllrs Vicki Casserly and Paul Nicholas Gogarty, who are from Lucan.
Cllr Gogarty said elderly residents and those with mobility problems would have difficulty accessing medical care if the plans go through.
“It won’t do anything to reduce through traffic, you’ll still have cars careering around the corner to get to Lucan bridge to avoid the M50,” he said
Cllr Casserly said the village green should be developed, but any reduction in parking spaces would affect the village’s firms and residents should be listened to.
Cllr Madeleine Johansson said the village as it is now laid out is less than ideal.
“You have a really nice village with huge potential but it’s full of cars. It’s really just a car park.”
She said more bus routes are needed to reduce car use, but now is the right time to move forward with the project. She added that the M50 toll is beyond the council’s remit but scrapping it would help alleviate the traffic that the village endures.
The amendment to reject the plans was carried by 20 to 15 votes.
The other half of the part 8, public realm improvement of the village green, will proceed. This will involve better access to the river, more seating and the creation of an amphitheatre-style space and bandstand.