I. Current Access Challenges
    •    Our practice already experiences significant difficulties with patient and staff access due to:
    •    Limited on-street parking near Tower Road;
    •    Heavy congestion in the village core at peak hours;
    •    Reliance on nearby shared car parks (Tower Parade / AIB / Mill Centre) for patient parking.
    •    Many of our patients are elderly, disabled, or parents with young children, who cannot reasonably be expected to travel on foot or by bicycle for medical appointments.
    •    Staff often carry equipment or materials that make public transport or cycling impractical.

II. Concerns with the LPF Proposals

The LPF proposals to:
    •    Reduce or reorganise parking spaces in Tower Parade and Tower/Mill Centre, and
    •    Introduce extensive traffic calming and circulation restrictions,

pose a serious risk to the accessibility of essential healthcare services in the village.

Specifically:
    •    Patients with mobility issues may not be able to access appointments if parking is pushed further away.
    •    Reduced parking availability will increase late arrivals and cancellations, undermining continuity of care.
    •    Staff recruitment and retention may be compromised if commuting by car becomes unviable due to lack of parking.
    •    Traffic calming, if not carefully balanced, could make patient drop-off and emergency access more difficult.

III. Request / Suggested Amendments

We respectfully request that the Council:
    1.    Guarantee the retention of sufficient short-stay, accessible parking spaces within immediate walking distance of Tower Road for patients with healthcare and mobility needs.
    2.    Provide staff permit parking solutions for essential healthcare providers located in the village core.
    3.    Ensure that traffic calming measures allow for patient drop-off / pick-up zones directly adjacent to healthcare providers.
    4.    Include a policy commitment in the LPF that essential healthcare facilities will not be disadvantaged by public realm or traffic interventions.

IV. Conclusion

While we support the overall vision of creating a safer, greener, and more vibrant Clondalkin, it is vital that healthcare accessibility is not sacrificed in pursuit of broader urban design goals. The dental and medical services in Clondalkin are fundamental to the wellbeing of residents, and we urge the Council to protect parking and access to these services in any future implementation.

We request that this objection be formally recorded as part of the consultation process.

Yours sincerely,

Clondalkin Dental team