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Residents to fight handball centre decision

Wednesday, 14 July 2010

NORTHSIDE residents have vowed to fight the GAA all the way in a last ditch attempt to stop its proposed demolition of a 40-year-old community centre near Croke Park. Locals in the vicinity of the stadium and those who use the Irish Handball Centre Social Club & Bar are furious but “unsurprised” that that GAA was given the green light for a contentious planning application on June 29, which had caused uproar in the community. The GAA had applied to knock down the much-used community and social club on St Joseph’s Avenue, off Clonliffe Road, and replace it with a multi-million euro sports complex, nearly three times the size of the old centre. Angry residents and users of the existing centre told Northside People they would appeal Dublin City Council’s decision to An Bord Pleanala. However, a spokesperson for Croke Park said they would be investing e9 million in the local community and hundreds of jobs would be created in the construction sector as a result of the development. Eamon O’Brien of the Croke Park Street Committee – the group set-up to protect the community centre – said they would fight the decision tooth and nail. “The centre is in the control of the community and we are going to fight this,” he told Northside People. “We’ll go to court if we have to.” Mr O’Brien slammed the GAA’s decision to demolish “a perfect, structurally sound building”.   “It has been a home from home for people for nearly 40 years,” he added. “Both young and old use the existing centre for activities such as handball, dance classes, self-defence, martial arts, pool and darts. Pat Gates, chairperson of the Croke Park Residents’ Alliance, said it was incredibly disappointing but unsurprising that Dublin City Council granted permission for the development.” Mr Gates believes “an amphitheatre and conference centre” of that size will intensify traffic and parking in the area. “There is also the issue of height and overshadowing privacy issues as people in the conference centre will be able to look into our back gardens,” he stated. However, Peter McKenna, stadium director at Croke Park, said all concerns in relation to overshadowing and loss of privacy were disproved in an architect’s report. “The development was also found to be compliant with the city council development plan in relation to traffic and parking,” Mr McKenna told Northside People. “This will not be a convention centre. It will be a handball centre that has a community facility as an integral part of the development. “We see this as a very positive development as we will be investing e9 million into the area and creating up to 300 jobs. “There are many other sites around the country that we could have chosen but we are very conscious of our obligations to the community.” Mr McKenna added: “We are very pleased that the council has approved the decision and we don’t imagine the plan could be appealed to An Bord Pleanala in relation to any issues over planning.” Local councillor Emer Costello (Lab) said she and her husband Deputy Joe Costello would join Mr O’Brien and Mr Gates by appealing the decision to An Bord Pleanala. “The handball alley is an integral part of the community,” she stated. “I’m very disappointed that the issues in relation to the community haven’t been resolved. “I will be supporting the local residents in their fight against this.” The planning proposal includes the demolition of the current handball and community facility to build in its place a new 3,417 sq. metre building for use as a handball sports, recreation and community facility with offices at third floor level. There will also be a south and west facing roof garden on top of the four-storey development, which would have a double basement. The handball facilities will be located on three levels, with a community facility located on part of the ground floor. There were a number of objections to the application, many of which were made on behalf of residents’ associations. The proposal was approved subject to 11 conditions including a restriction that the office space within the development is used specifically for the running of the handball facility and Handball Ireland activities.