6 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Rathfarnham Castle garden saved from being turned into a car park
As part of a €12m redevelopment plan for Rathfarnham Castle and Stables, South Dublin County Council (SDCC) planned to convert the Sean Keating garden into a 50-unit parking space.
However, at SDCC's July meeting, council management confirmed they have arrived at a compromise with Rathfarnham Castle Residents Association.
The amended proposal will see the car parking area reconfigured into an open space design. The new plan will see the parking spaces enlarged in the north and south, leaving more space for public use.
More than 179 residents raised concerns about the initial plan, worrying they would lose a green space and popular public amenity in the area.
A submission from one resident described the Sean Keating garden as 'a haven of nature to get away from the hustle and bustle'.
'I have grown up in Rathfarnham, and have seen a huge amount of change in the area in that time. Most of it, in my opinion, not for the better,' they said.
'So why is it being decided to dig up this wonderful green space to put a car park and restaurant in it?
'With all the building in Rathfarnham over the years, a lot of nature has seen its habitat destroyed.'
Another resident highlighted the importance of the green space for families in the area.
'We support the re-development of the stable area, but are strongly opposed to the loss of any of our green space for car parking,' they said.
'We love the garden, the pond and statue and the peace the Sean Keating garden offers. We would be heartbroken at it's demolishment.'
Jason Frehill, Director of Economic, Enterprise and Tourism Development at SDCC, commended the local community's involvement in the redevelopment plan.
'We sat down with local community representatives in Rathfarnham, and we've agreed to redesign the garden area where the car park is,' he said.
'The same 50 spaces will be provided, but it will be an enlarged open space area extending from south to north.
'The residents' concern was that the area would not be as usable, so we're working with them to rework it.'
The €12m redevelopment plan will also include Rathfarnham Stables and the four courtyards it is made up of.
It will see the first three courtyards converted into a community centre, hospitality facilities and a new café and restaurant.
Councillor David McManus introduced a proposal to ensure the fourth courtyard will stay within the council's control.
'Courtyard four will be a commercial space not to be encroached upon by commercial sector,' he said.
'This redevelopment plan has changed for the better in the last years – it has grown from a €5m plan to a €12m plan thanks to the lobbying by the local community.'
Other councillors commended management for working with Rathfarnham residents on the plan.
Councillor Yvonne Collins said: 'I'm delighted to see the garden will be remodelled. It's great to see so much work has been done to reach an acceptable situation for all.'
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
