This Friday 03 Feb was due to be when Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council originally (and rather optimistically/ bullishly) scheduled the launch of a new Part 8 planning application, little over a week since the public consultation closed. 

Genuine concerns regarding the shortness of this period were raised by resident groups and other stakeholders with the Council given:
- the significant public opposition to the plans
- the volume of feedback on and support for a more practical and sustainable alternative to upgrade and enhance the existing GAA pitches/facilities at the front of the park and elsewhere (incl. Stonebridge); and
- the narrow window to redraft any Part 8 plans more aligned to community wants and needs (natural, sporting and recreational).

In a small but potentially positive move, last week stakeholders were advised that DLRCOCO have pushed back the proposed Part 8 planning application launch date stating:
“In order to give sufficient time for this [feedback] report to be prepared, and the findings to be carefully considered and incorporated into the final planning application, the date for the start of the next Part 8 consultation period is being pushed out. We are working towards the 17th February as a new Part 8 launch date, with this to be confirmed at a later date as work on the plans progresses. At this stage, the revised plans will be publicised and the community will once again have the opportunity to give feedback on plans through formal submissions and observations.”

This might mean they are genuinely looking at suggested alternatives but time will tell and if there are no meaningful changes, it would be an incredibly disappointing Council own goal.

Having sought legal advice, many also remain of the strong view given the scale of the plans, recent housing developments, EU directives, national guidelines and established criteria in planning legislation for such developments, that DLRCOCO are obliged to conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment (which they have so far refused for reasons best known to themselves) - if the Council fail to conduct an EIA and dismiss the community-backed alternative proposal - which is economically sound, socially acceptable and environmentally responsible- then a legal challenge is the likely outcome.

Help spread the word that there are practical and viable alternatives that better the park, users (“active” and “passive”), and the many species of plants and wildlife that call it home!

Please sign and share the petition at www.change.org/SaveShanganaghPark