The local authority are proposing a roundabout at the junction of Greenhills Road and Main Street Tallaght Village
Alterations made to village plans after strong public reaction
WATCH:
The council has made alterations to their Tallaght Village plans after the strong public reaction to the consultation period.
The local authority has proposed new changes to the Village Enhancement Scheme after the most recent consultation ended in the last week of March.
A new roundabout, more off-Main-Street parking spaces and changes to the bus gate’s location have all been proposed.
A roundabout has emerged as a preferred option for the junction of Greenhills Road and Main St, which the local authority noted will improve efficiency of traffic flow, give pedestrians priority and provide for more public realm space to work with.
The potential for 13 more parking spaces has also been identified in response to public concerns regarding parking, though none of these spaces are on Main St, rather in “close proximity.”
New spaces can be seen on the new proposed layout map south of the Greenhills/Main Street roundabout.
The ‘bus gate’ on Main Street will be moved from its initial proposed location west of Old Greenhills Road to east of Greenhills Road, though traffic on the street remains available to public transport only in the scheme.
However, drivers on the Bancroft side would be able to access The Priory from Old Greenhills Road in the same route as they currently use.
A community meeting took place on Wednesday night at the Retreat House in The Priory to discuss the traffic and parking changes initially proposed by the local council.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Councillor Niamh Whelan said that the village in its current form is “not fit for purpose” and not somewhere that people want to go and spend their time.
Cllr Whelan added that she is happy to attend meetings and feed concerns back to the council, but that the scheme is in a race against time, with BusConnects set to introduce a new bus corridor for Tallaght and Clondalkin.
She said: “The plan can’t keep changing or nothing will happen. We just won’t get it over the line – we’re time constrained here because of BusConnects as well, that’s going to start.
“If we don’t have this sign sealed and delivered by then, then nothing will happen to the village.”
South Dublin County Council stated that a reduction in parking and utilisation of traffic calming measures would provide them with the opportunity to deliver an “enhanced streetscape”, more community spaces and more biodiversity in the area.
A spokesperson for Tallaght Community Council described the parking as a “red line issue.”
They said: “There are people who live on Main Street, and they have lived there for generations.
“They should not have to walk to a nearby street to park their cars. It’s as simple as that.
“That is a retrograde step to what they have today and they shouldn’t be forced to compromise their access and personal safety to facilitate the bus.”
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.
