‘It's not the same place anymore': Antisocial behaviour in a Dublin suburb
A number of residents at a housing estate in
Dublin 13
say they fear for their safety due to antisocial behaviour and reckless driving of e-scooters.
Residents of Parkside estate in north Dublin say they have been witnessing a serious and dangerous increase in crime and antisocial behaviour over recent months.
They claim there has been an increase in burglaries, drug use, intimidation and assaults. They believe those involved live locally, but not in the estate itself.
Parkside is located in the Balgriffin area, which lies close to Belmayne, Clongriffin and Donaghmede.
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Residents said recent housing developments in the area have essentially created a new town, but with 'a severe lack of amenities', said one resident, and a lack of consultation with residents about what they need.
Several residents said they had raised their concerns with developer
Cairn Homes
,
Dublin City Council
(DCC) and
An Garda Siochána
. However, they feel as though little has been done to address their concerns.
The council is due to take over the running of the estate, but this process could take some time.
Residents said they were very worried about young people riding motorcycles, e-scooters and other vehicles at speed through the estate, often on footpaths and bike paths, where children regularly play.
A long lane runs through the estate and residents want speed bumps and more chicane gates need to be installed as a matter of urgency.
Parkside estate residents Rahul Kumar, Vikram Jiswal, Bengt Arvid, Aisling Hedderman, Bruno dos Santos, Dhruv Rai and Manish Sharma. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
One mother, who did not wish to be named, said her young daughter was almost hit by an e-scooter recently, while other residents said there have been several near misses involving the vehicles.
'This reckless behaviour is putting the lives of young children, the elderly and the wider community at significant risk,' residents said in an email recently sent to local councillors and TDs.
The estate is a mix of privately-owned homes and social housing. Previously, three-bed houses in the estate have sold for about €500,000 while four-bed houses have sold for more than €600,000.
A long lane runs through the estate; residents say there have been 'near misses' between e-scooters and children. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
Blocks of apartments are also being built on site. The group of residents said there were not enough facilities for the homes already there, let alone any new builds.
The residents claim that part of the reason for the antisocial behaviour is a lack of facilities, despite being promised certain amenities when they moved in. They said a community centre is needed, facilities for young people, more green spaces and lighting on the laneways.
Aisling Hedderman, who has lived in the estate for about three years, said there was 'constant building without green spaces'.
'The antisocial behaviour comes because of the lack of planning and the lack of facilities and amenities that are here,' she said.
'So, if you don't have somewhere that you can go to – a boxing club, a piano club or a youth club to go to – that means there are more kids that are going to congregate.'
Ms Hedderman said residents' complaints to Cairn Homes and the council were 'falling on deaf ears'.
Residents in the estate say there is a severe lack of amenities in the area. Photograph: Órla Ryan
Vikram Jiswal, another resident, said people understood that more housing has to be built in Dublin but it should not be built without ensuring the areas in question have proper infrastructure and amenities.
'The problem is that they're just looking at one aspect, but they're not looking at amenities – they're totally neglecting it.'
Nicola Fowler, who lives in the estate with her children, said the issues had worsened over the past 18 months.
'Even a year and a half ago to now is a totally different thing. It's not the same place any more. To walk to the shop, you're afraid. It's really worrying.'
Ms Fowler said people living in social housing in Parkside 'respect' where they live and look after the area but she fears that, if these issues are not addressed, the estate 'will become another Ballymun' – in a reference to the north Dublin estate once synonymous with social problems.
Antisocial behaviour and drug use in Ballymun were linked to deprivation, few amenities and poor infrastructure surrounding the blocks of flats built there as social housing in the 1960s. As part of a plan to regenerate the area in more recent years, the flats were knocked down and replaced with other housing.
People selling their homes
Dhruv Rai, who has lived in Parkside for almost five years, said he knew two people who planned to sell their houses in the estate due to the ongoing issues.
Mr Rai said there was 'confusion' over who residents need to contact about their concerns – Cairn is the developer behind Parkside, but DCC is due to take over the running of the estate.
That's why he and others set up an
online petition,
calling for Cairn and DCC to intervene. As of Tuesday, more than 330 people had signed the petition.
'We've been told it's an ongoing process,' Mr Rai said of plans for DCC to take over the running of the estate, 'that [the council] can't really do much in this situation'.
A spokesperson for Cairn Homes said the company did not wish to comment, while DCC did not reply to requests for comment.
The Irish Times understands that Cairn Homes and the council are in contact with each other about the situation.
Apartment blocks have been built as part of the estate. Photograph: Órla Ryan
Local Fianna Fáil councillor Daryl Barron said there was 'work going on in the background' to improve facilities in the area, but he 'totally' understands the frustration of residents.
Mr Barron said he was frustrated at how long it can take to implement changes.
'I pull my hair out,' he said, adding that the process of transferring the running of an estate from a developer to the council is complex and can take years.
'How long is a piece of string?'
Mr Barron said efforts were being made by the council and other stakeholders to develop a new community centre, library and health centre which will serve Belmayne, Clongriffin and Parkside.
'There's going to be a lot of resources going to be added into this area over the next three to five years.'
A spokesperson for An Garda Síochána said local gardaí were 'aware of ongoing issues around antisocial behaviour in the Dublin 13 area'.
'Members of the Coolock Community Policing Unit have been liaising with local residents to assist with a targeted response.
'A number of recent arrests have been made in relation to incidents of assault, public disorder and drug-related intimidation in these areas,' the spokesperson said.
In addition to community policing efforts, there has been 'proactive stakeholder engagement with DCC, local representatives and local residents', the spokesperson said.
A new Garda station is expected to open in the area in the coming years, but Mr Barron said this would not likely happen until at least 2028.
The councillor said there had been 'a big social infrastructure deficit' in the area for the last 10 or 15 years.
'Clongriffin was left behind because of the Celtic Tiger crash, Belmayne was very much the same. And then Parkside, which is lovely housing, was just plumped in between the two.'
Mr Barron said there was a 'critical mass' and more amenities must be added to the area as quickly as possible.
'There's now a lot of people up there. The facilities must follow, and the infrastructure must follow.'
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