Labour representatives from Dublin 15 have said that planned parking charges at Blanchardstown Shopping Centre will “disproportionately impact workers.”
Labour representatives in the Dublin West constituency have expressed their “deep frustration” with the decision by Blanchardstown Centre to introduce parking charges, despite An Coimisiún Pleanála saying they were not needed.
Labour councillors Mary McCamley (Blanchardstown-Mulhuddart) and John Walsh (Castleknock) said that the charges “impact workers, the most vulnerable communities and public facing amenities, resources and services.”
“These workers, communities and resources now must be given strong commitment to be protected by Blanchardstown Shopping Centre Management,” they said.
McCamley noted, “there is a silver lining of the additional conditions outlined in the planning decision; it is extremely disappointing that permission was granted for this development.”
“The shopping centre has been supported by the community who work there, shop there and spend their hard-earned money there for thirty years, and the message of locking essential services and vital amenities behind a paywall during a cost of living crisis is a bitterly disappointing decision.”
“We need Fingal County Council and shopping centre management to act now to curb installation and protect our community from financial repercussions,” she said.
Walsh said the decision shows a “complete disregard” for the voice of the local community in Dublin 15.
Over 10,600 people signed a petition calling for the charges to be dropped.
The Castleknock councillor said, “the plan for parking charges is irresponsible, socially regressive and deeply unfair to workers, business and local communities living close to the Centre.”
“It is fundamentally wrong to charge people for accessing essential public services such as the library, Draiocht and Fingal Council housing section. The proposed barriers will also cause large-scale traffic chaos and make it even harder for local residents to access the Centre, especially at peak times and in the run-up to Christmas.”
“SVP Capital should not be allowed to run roughshod over local communities and it is long past time that they recognised the long term damage being done to the Centre itself and our local communities,” he said.
Luke Daly, petition organiser and Labour’s secretary in the Dublin West constituency, said “we made an evidence-based case, our community made its feelings abundantly clear and naturally, this is not the outcome we wanted, but planning permission is not a mandate.”
“There is nothing in this decision that forces management to charge people for coming to work, attending essential services or amenities.”
“The question now moves directly to management: you have statutory permission, but do you have support from your workers, the services which contribute to footfall of your centre, or the communities which have kept the doors to the centre open for the last 30 years?”
“It is now up to the management and Fingal County Council to materially protect the people and services that we have been advocating for,” he said.