Submission Response on Clondalkin LPF

This Local Planning Framework will play a significant role in shaping the character and functionality of Clondalkin. It is essential that the Plan reflects the requirements and priorities of residents, businesses and stakeholders. While the Mill Shopping Centre welcomes some of the proposals described in the Local Planning Framework. It is important to highlight key issues with certain proposals outlined on the Shopping Centre Lands.  This submission will focus on issues concerning the Mini Framework Sites Proposal on the Mill Centre lands and its impact on parking, access, servicing and maintenance for the Centre.

A significant amount of development is proposed in the Mill Shopping Centre’s car park which is in private ownership. This includes the creation of new roads and pathways to connect the Ninth Lock Framework (Section 8.7) through the Mill Centre to Ninth Lock Road.

The proposed new access route towards the Ninth Lock Framework as outlined in Section 8.5.2 impacts key operations of the Centre. Outlined in the following points:

• The de-culverting and proposed movement opportunities outlined in the proposal heavily impact on the operation and service of the Centre.

• The Mini Framework proposal impacts the future development opportunities for the Mill Shopping Centre Clondalkin.
• An estimated 215 parking spaces would be lost from the proposed movement routes along the culvert. This amounts to over a quarter of the car parking spaces provided by the Centre.  Given the age profile of the local community and the Centre’s importance to the community as a meeting place, vehicular access and parking is required and well utilised. The loss of this quantity of parking spaces will have a large impact on the day-to-day operations of the Centre.
• The loss of 215 spaces above does not include loss of existing operational service circulation provided to the west of the Mill Shopping Centre to facilitate the potential connections to the Ninth Lock Framework. The proposed access routes outlined in the Ninth Lock Framework utilise Mill Shopping Centre lands to connect to Old Nangor Road and Ninth Lock Road will impact existing service and delivery routes for existing tenants.
• The former Mill Taxicab offices have been removed from the Mini Framework proposal for a proposed roadway towards Ninth Lock Road. This building and the area beneath house key infrastructure for the operation of the center and has an existing vehicle weight limitation in place due to underground services. This makes the proposed access route location outlined in the draft Local Planning Framework unsuitable.
• The proposal of de-culverting of the River Camac or creating a GI soft landscaped and active travel route along the culvert causes significant losses of urban space for the Centre. The current access routes, pedestrian footpaths and car parking would be impacted by the design proposal causing a complete redesign of the Centre’s existing car park, creating short- and long-term disruption for a busy retail Centre.
• While the Mini Framework plan proposes development opportunities with proposed units aligning to the path of the Camac. The location of them overshadows the proposed active route outlined in the LPF, the existing car park and the Mill Shopping Centre. Reducing the Mill’s visibility and street presence on Tower Road and Old Nangor Road.

Measures such as the de-culverting of the river, a reduction of usable area for the Centre and the total redesign of the Shopping Centre carpark and impact of future development of the site must be considered in relation to the existing successful Mill Shopping Centre to ensure that the framework delivers improvements that are both sustainable and workable for the Centre and wider community of Clondalkin.