Victory for local residents

THE HSE has warned of a

“significant delay

? in providing a Primary Care Centre in Finglas following a surprise decision by An Bord Pleanála to refuse planning permission.

The planning board agreed with local residents that the proposed site, bounded by Mellowes Road, Mellowes Avenue and Kildonan Road, was an informal open space and its removal would

“seriously injure the residential amenities

?.

Members of the Mellowes Area Action Group (MAAG), which was formed to campaign against the controversial proposal, were delighted when last week’s decision was announced.

“We took this on as a group of ordinary residents and I’m delighted because we went about things the right way,

? said spokesperson Thomas Devlin.

“We said from the very start it was being built in the wrong place and An Bord Pleanála has upheld our view. It goes to show there must have been somebody listening to us. The HSE made this mistake and they can’t walk away from Finglas now.

“We expect the HSE to come back with a primary care centre in a proper location and we’ll fight for that to make sure Finglas gets what it deserves.

?

The HSE described the decision to reject its proposal, which had been give the green light by Dublin City Council, as

“unexpected and disappointing

?.

“The HSE is very disappointed and greatly regrets that we will not be in a position to proceed,

? a spokesperson said.

“It was unexpected and disappointing given that the zoning of the selected site was appropriate for the proposed use and that Dublin City Council had issued a notification of decision to grant permission.

“The HSE are now considering the options available. However, this decision will significantly delay the provision of a Primary Care Centre in the Finglas South and Finglas West area.

?

In its decision An Bord Pleanála stated that building on the open space would not be in accordance with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area. The board went against its own inspector’s recommendation to grant permission subject to eight conditions, including payment of almost

?¬200,000 to Dublin City Council for public infrastructure and facilities.

The HSE could, in theory, now call for an expensive judicial review on the decision but this seems unlikely given the health executive’s statement on the issue.

Initial reports suggest funding for the project has been lost and there won’t now be a Finglas Primary Care Centre, at least in the short to medium-term. The proposal to build a primary care centre on the Mellowes area site has been a long running saga and a political hot potato. The HSE agreed a

?¬180,000 deal with Dublin City Council for the long-promised centre to be built on the land. However, in June 2013 local councillors rejected the plan by a vote of 3-2.

Councillors were warned that rejecting the proposal would delay the project and could jeopardise funding earmarked for the centre and the plan was put forward again the following month and passed by a vote of 4-1. The reversal angered local residents who had argued against locating it on the proposed site.