Dublin City Council has added a new item to the list of environmental transgressions; paving over your suburban garden so you can park your car.
The council claims that the covering of lawns and flower beds with concrete and asphalt is polluting rivers and streams as well as contributing to flooding.
The reason given is that rainwater that would previously have been absorbed by the soil and percolated down into the water table is now being diverted directly into the city’s drainage system and ultimately the sewage system. In some parts of Dublin where the system is close to capacity, the result is overflows into streams, rivers, and beaches.
It also appears that some of these new suburban parking spaces – particularly those near the airport and the Luas – are being rented out for commercial gain. It may sound like an urban myth, but at least one online platform that allows people rent out parking spaces confirms increased levels of business in the suburbs.
Whether this trend – which may be of interest to the Revenue Commissioners – is really a significant contributor to pollution is hard to quantify. It is also somewhat beside the point.
Both the demand for suburban parking and sewage overflowing into rivers and other public amenities have the same root cause. It is the failure to invest in the city’s transport, sewage, and other infrastructure.
It is a little disingenuous to single out suburban driveways as a culprit for a problem that has been decades in the making. If there was adequate public parking near Luas stops and the airport, people would not have the opportunity to rent out their drives. If the transport system was good enough, commuters would not need to park in the suburbs to begin with. Likewise if investment in the sewage system had kept pace with house building and other development, then overflows would not be the problem they are. Dublin City Council might be better served looking a little closer to home for the reasons for these problems.