Major plan on the way for Ballymun

BALLYMUN locals are being invited to have their say on the creation of a new local area plan (LAP) that’ll shape the area’s future.

Last week Dublin City Council published discussion documents as an initial step in developing the LAP and a series of information sessions are taking place in the Civic Centre on Main Street over the next two weeks.

Ballymun local councillor, Noeleen Reilly (SF), said the local area plan is a unique opportunity for the public to have their say on shaping the future of Ballymun.

“I will be working very closely with residents on this, as well as other local representatives and the various stakeholders, to ensure any mistakes made during the regeneration are learned from and rectified,” she said.

The ‘Issue Papers’ published by the council last week acknowledge that much of the vision put forward in the original 1998 Ballymun Masterplan, which formed the basis of the area’s regeneration, never materialised.

While the original flats were demolished and replaced with improved housing units and new facilities such as parks, a new civic centre and hotels were built the economic downturn meant several major elements of the plan never saw the light of day.

Key sites off Main Street and lands off the M50 earmarked for a major shopping centre were never developed and infrastructure plans for roads and drains were deferred.

The area is blighted by vacant commercial units in the heart of Ballymun on Main Street while nothing has been done to replace the decaying old shopping centre that’s now almost empty.

The closure of Tesco in Ballymun Shopping Centre has driven shoppers from the area to Charlestown and Omni Park, which has had a knock-on impact on local retailers.

Failure to develop the economic pillar of the regeneration has meant Ballymun – despite its strategically economically advantageous location near the airport, the M50 and the city centre – still has a high dependence on social supports compared to other parts of the city. 

It’s hoped a new LAP will incorporate measures included in last year’s draft economic strategy for Ballymun that includes objectives such as marketing and branding the area as well as progressing the development of vacant sites.

“The one area that residents were let down on during the regeneration was economic regeneration,” said Cllr Reilly.

“A recent survey conducted in the area by Dublin City Council as part of the local area plan process showed that only 10 per cent of residents do their weekly shopping in the Ballymun area.

“We need to change that and in turn generate greater economic activity in Ballymun.

“On the housing side of things there is currently 33.75 hectares of zoned and serviced land ready for residential use.

“We currently have 983 families in the Ballymun/Poppintree area on the housing waiting list with 103 of these staying in homeless accommodation. The local area plan needs to address this and provide a mixture of private and social housing.”

Residents are invited to have their say on the future of the area at public information sessions taking place in the Ballymun Civic Centre, Main Street, over the next two weeks.

The sessions take place on Thursday, November 12, from 1-4pm; Saturday, November 21 from 10am-12pm; and Thursday, November 26, from 7-9pm.