Part 8 Planning proposal Lucan Village

In principle the idea of improving the centre of the village by enhancing the access and vista to the Griffeen river  and the green amenity area is a welcome idea.

You must however, look objectively at the proposal as it is now presented, striping it back to see beyond the somewhat colourful and misleading imagery provided to understand what really is being achieved here ?

What is the net result ? who are you endeavouring to accommodate? Is it retail premises, local people, rates payers, local small business, or a perspective tourist market or audience that may or may not come to fruition ?

It is a basic fundamental that everyone involved in the influencing and decision making understand and weigh up the gains and losses, the pros and cons  and looking at the immediate, short , medium and longer term improvements or impacts the proposal might have to the improved success and ongoing vitality of the Village centre before arriving at their conclusion.

I understand it may be in the region of €2m euro to implement this proposal and It is my contention improvements to the centre of Lucan village green along with numerous other projects in Lucan could benefit from a better distribution and allocation of these monies.

Could the money be better deployed in Lucan at locations such as the Hermitage valley woodland walks, parklands,  Shackleton mill( although Fingal jurisdiction)

All phenomenal local people and tourist facilities on our doorstep not being properly progressed or promoted.

Include these in your Lucan public realm proposals which are all understated and under managed attributes on your doorstep that could be enjoyed by locals and tourists alike without conflict or detriment.

I interpret the current set of proposals as a somewhat short sighted, narrow vision  and poor deployment of local authority expenditure and tax payers money given what it actually achieves immediately and in the short term and the potential damage it could have in the longer term.

It could certainly be an interesting legacy in town planning terms ?

There are indeed some very positive aspects to the proposal namely opening up the green to the river and making it more inviting to local people. Primarily it is the needs of local people that should be the 1st priority given it is they who will sustain the heart of the village 7 days a week , indefinitely as a successful commercial place.

Trying to promote or encourage a pavement café culture as depicted in the imagery will not promote diversity as required in a healthy functioning village centre where the emphasis should be more towards easily accessible shopping with accompanying finance, health and hospitality providers.

The proposers need to examine the calibre of retail now existing in the village and determine where they see the village’s future.

Look at the turnover of recent retail occupation,

Review the competing alternatives in the Lucan area which are impacting and challenging the retail success and diversity of the village namely :

Ballyowen Shopping Centre, Anchored by Spar

Newcastle road = Anchored by  Supervalu & Dunnes +++

Hillcrest  - Anchored by  Tesco  +++

Adamstown = Anchored by  Aldi & Londis +++

Liffey valley = Anchored by Major National Multiples +++,

Fonthill road = Aldi, Lidl, Eurasia ++++.

All of the above prosper at the expense of the traditional village centres, this is not a recent phenomenon nor a concept unique to Lucan.

Retail parks and suburban district shopping centres make it increasingly difficult for traditional villages to survive. Ease of access and parking making them much more attractive propositions to which people happily commute in their cars.

The retail uses in the traditional village centre will continue to die out slowly and you will be left with not a primary , secondary or even tertiary retail location – commercially it will fail miserably.

The correct thing and the real challenge would be to provide more easy access safe parking in the village for a diverse range of vehicles with appropriate electric charging points for cars, bikes, cargo bikes, mobility scooters etc etc

The people issuing these directives and making the decisions need to consider more carefully the evolving nature of villages and basic retail fundamentals and dynamics.

Consider the potential impact of further High Street bank closures, more challenges to existing  retail units, pharmacy and Medical centre = remove these from the equation and what are you left with  ?????

If you don’t have significant anchor retail units to attract footfall everything else dies.  ( referred to in retail terms as the “dumbbell effect” )

Weekend tourism flurries do not sustain a diverse healthy functioning village centre for local people.

Questions and recommendations.

Has a Cost benefit analysis been carried out for the proposal to understand the financial influences and impacts?

The landscaping proposal needs re-visiting in terms of selection and appropriateness of trees, flora and fauna.

The traffic count needs to be carried out at an appropriate time not Covid times.

Like it or loathe it parking is a part of everyday modern life requirements and needs to be taken due account of. Ignoring it or having the wrong data upon which you base decisions would be seriously naïve and flawed decision making.

Have the designers explored the retention of or indeed the increased requirements for car parking in the village should the proposal be an overwhelming tourism success in conjunction with the already established local needs?

The imagery shown to present the scheme should reflect more carefully the reality with car parking as it will be utilised and occupied.

Proper Photomontages should be presented to assist those less familiar with this style of proposal and presentation format. Do not produce imagery that is not a true representation.

If it is tourism you wish to promote in Lucan this is not the starting point.

If it is for local needs and to sustain the heart of the village with a diverse range of occupiers and services then you really need to think further, deeper and more long term.

This is a proposal that optically looks pleasing however resolves very little and could exacerbate traffic problems further in the village and serve to alienate local people more than they are already with difficulty of access and restricted parking provisions.

There is an opportunity to bring all parties and people to the table and on board.

 

At a minimum and given the significance of his location community workshops and proper community presentation and public consultation is a minimum requirement especially now that Covid restrictions are being lifted.

 

Yours Sincerely