Residents raise Croker planning concerns

AN BORD Pleanala has said that it will co-operate
fully with any formal investigation that might be carried out into the number
of planning applications passed for Croke Park.

Northside People can exclusively reveal that members
of the Croke Park Streets Committee have requested that an inquiry be carried
out into planning applications for the
stadium dealt with by the planing board.

This latest twist in a long-running bitter dispute
between the committee and Croke Park came to a head recently at an oral hearing
relating to the proposal for rooftop tours of the stadium.

At the hearing members of the Streets Committtee, who
have vehemently opposed many of Croke Park’s planning and development
proposals, publicly refused to continue to participate until an investigation
into their concerns were carried out.

The Streets Committee had written to the planning
board back in September seeking an inquiry into its practices to reassure them
of the board’s independence.

In correspondence seen by Northside People, the board
responded by saying that

“the Board would co-operate fully with any formal
investigation which might be carried out.

?

“Furthermore, the Board is satisfied that its
decisions now and in the past have been based on relevant considerations
relating to proper planning and sustainable development.

“It is also satisfied that it affords equal status and
opportunity to all participants in carrying out its functions under the
Planning and Development Acts 2000-2011.

?

According to Eamon O’Brien of the Croke Park Streets
Committee, his group believe they have grounds for concern.

“We are requesting that there is an investigation
carried out and we are taking advice as to what our next step is,

? he stated.

He said residents are calling for An Bord Pleanala to
carry out an internal investigation that would assure them of the board’s
practices and processes.

“We have no faith in An Bord Pleanala as a planning
authority,

? he said.

“We just want to be satisfied that they are taking our
concerns seriously.

?

Peter McKenna, stadium director of Croke Park,
categorically rejected any suggestion there was anything amiss in relation to
any planning decisions for Croke Park.

“An Bord Pleanala is a statutory body that conducts
its business objectively and without influence from anyone,

? he stated.

“Not all planning applications that we have submitted
have gone our way and for those that haven’t we went back to the drawing board,
revised the plans and resubmitted the application.

?