Marlay Park concerts to be reviewed

RESIDENTS living near Marlay Park are to have their say on the future of concerts held at the popular Southside amenity.

It follows a series of concerts at the park this summer that included performances by acts such as Arcade Fire and the Arctic Monkeys as well as the three-day Longitude Festival that took place in July.

While the concerts passed off peacefully there were some concerns raised by locals regarding noise, inconvenience, traffic and parking.

As highlighted recently in Southside People, some locals had described themselves as living like prisoners in their own homes as the gigs were staged.

Their concerns were echoed by others who contacted Cllr Neale Richmond (FG).

According to Cllr Richmond, council officials have indicated that they would meet councillors in the autumn to review the recent concerts held in Marlay Park.

“I have been a stout defender and supporter of holding concerts in Marlay Park since long before I was elected to the county council,

? he said.

“The concerts bring great cultural and economic benefits to the area while showing off the brilliant facility that is Marlay Park.

“However, this year, for the first time, I received a considerable amount of complaints and correspondence from local residents unhappy with the effect that the concerts were having.

“Over the course of the three weeks, I received a series of emails from residents who were caught up in traffic congestion surrounding the concerts while some local people were understandably put out by worrying displays of public disorder and drunkenness from a minority of concert goers.

“On certain nights residents in estates as far apart as Broadford in Ballinteer and Clonard in Dundrum contacted me to complain about the noise from the concerts while the restriction of use of Marlay Park was understandably an issue for many people.

?

He added:

“One of the key issues that came up countless time was the sheer amount of concerts taking place with eight evenings of concerts taking place over a three week period.

“Throughout the course of the three weeks I remained in close contact with council officials, gardai and concert promoters who were extremely helpful and punctual when dealing with complaints from local residents as they had been in advance of the concerts.

“As the outgoing Chair of the Dundrum Area Committee, I have asked council officials to meet with councillors officially this Autumn to thoroughly review the concerts in Marlay Park in terms of complaints, matters raised, finance and public consultation.

“I am delighted that the Director of Services has informed me that he and his officials will meet local councillors to discuss all these matters.

“I am sure that concerts will go ahead in Marlay Park again next summer but it is important that the public reach out to councillors and the council to make sure their voices are heard during the licensing process.

“Ahead of this meeting, if any local residents would like to raise any issue relating to the planning, staging or monitoring of concerts in Marlay Park they can reach me best at: [email protected].

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A spokesperson for Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council told Southside People previously that they had an excellent relationship with the local residents’ associations

“whom it works closely with to ensure the concerns of their members are taken on board

?.

The council had also set up a complaints phone number for the public that was available on the nights that concerts were on.