I wish to register my shock and sadness at the divisions and upset this proposal has caused in Lucan, particularly at this time of great global distress at what conflict can bring.

Much of the division could have beeen avoided if the consultation on which the plan is based had included the very people who are most impacted by this plan, those for whom accessibility is everything.

The architects for the plan, CHL, is a Waterford based practice and it conducted its CHL Survey & Consultation in May 2021, a time when over 60's and health compromised people were not fully vaccinated and still cocooning/shielding, thereby unavailable for street survey. Although the survey was available online, it does not appear from the responses I viewed that many of this cohort participated. 

Furthermore, SDCC itself does not appear to have considered how to apply its Age Friendly County Strategy aims to its planning. This county has one of the fastest growing % changes in persons over 65  and the Lucan Village area is central to the lives of hundreds of older residents in the older estates close to the village. A thousand visits a week are made to the Medical centre on Main St and many others use the banks, shop, post office and pharmacy, yet there's not one Age Friendly parking space.

SDCC officials I met at the Library last week presented the plan as an "all or nothing" plan, take it in full or lose it. There did not appear to be any room for adaptation of the plan to include the surface and park improvements but not the parking changes.  On that basis, I'm objecting to the proposal as I feel its not based on need but on a vision funded by Bord Failte. Vision is necessary for change but it must be inclusive. 

If other funding must be found, I suggest the huge increased revenue in Local Property Tax paid by Lucan homeowners would help significantly.

"If you design for the young, you exclude the old, but if you design for the old, you include everyone" pg.9 AFI Toolkit

A couple of reminders from SDCC's own AF County Strategy:

"...improve the quality of life of older people in South Dublin and make this a great county in which to grow older"

"Through this strategy, we aim to ensure that our older population have access to health services and information and that there are no barriers to mobility barriers (sic) around the county"