Former Esso site to become car park

By Mary Dennehy

THE removal of the hoarding around the former Esso site in Tallaght village captured the community’s attention and imagination this week – and set tongues wagging about what could be in store for the prominent, and at times controversial, patch of land.

However, The Echo can confirm that the high-profile village site, which has been vacant for a number of years, is being transformed into a temporary carpark – which will facilitate construction crews working on the new Lidl concept store on Main Road, Tallaght.

Belgard Road-based construction company Mannings, which has landed the contract with the German discount store, is leasing the former Esso site until the end of November – during which time it will be used as a carpark and to store construction material.

Mannings confirmed to The Echo that they are renting the site from the owner and that they hope to use the site, for around 12 cars, from this week.

The carpark, which will not be for public use, will have an entrance and exit onto the old Greenhills Road – with construction workers expected to be travelling into the carpark, which will be fenced off, at around 7.30am daily and leaving at around 6pm.

Tallaght Fianna Fáil councillor Charlie O’Connor said: “I’m happy to see something being done on the site and the reaction I’m getting off people locally is positive – people are happy to see it cleared up and the hoarding removed.

“We will have to keep an eye on how the carpark goes over the coming weeks and obviously, long-term it would be great to know if there are plans for this key Tallaght village location.

“The former Esso site has always been a bit of a mystery, but hopefully recent work is a sign of good things to come.”

Tara De Buitléar, PRO of Tallaght Community Council (TCC), also welcomed the clean-up on the site and the temporary lease.

However, she queried the removal of a section of wall to the front of the site.

She said: “The stone wall has been a feature of the village and has been at this approach junction for decades.

“There appears to be no reason to knock this wall down given the two large gateways into this site already.

“I will be asking if permission is required to knock this existing boundary on a main road and entrance.”

As reported in The Echo last year, a planning application seeking to transform the former Esso site into a modern forecourt retail business was expected to be lodged with South Dublin County Council by Sirio Retail Holdings – which had bought the site.

However, the retail trading business of Sirio was bought by Top Oil earlier this year and, it has been confirmed to The Echo, that the former Esso site was not included in the sale – with Top Oil confirming toThe Echo that it doesn’t own the site. 

Once again, the Esso site, its owner and its future prospects remain unknown.

However, due to the level of interest in the site when it went on the market in 2014, a number of possibilities for the local site may be back on the table.

Mannings Construction told The Echo that no planning was required for the temporary carpark and, when contacted by The Echo, South Dublin County Council said that the planning authority had no knowledge of a temporary carpark at this location.