Treasury consults locals on future of Stillorgan

Developer Treasury Holdings expects up to 400 Stillorgan residents to go to meetings this weekend to discuss their area's future. Fiona Tyrrell reports

Treasury Holdings, which owns 11 acres of land in Stillorgan, Co Dublin, including Stillorgan Shopping Centre and the Bondi disco site, is organising a series of events this weekend designed to include local people in the design of a new centre for Stillorgan village.

The developer, who has been refused planning permission to redevelop Stillorgan Shopping Centre on three occasions, says it is prepared to go back to the drawing board with its plans for Stillorgan village if this is what locals want

Murray Adair, project development manager with Treasury Holdings, says the aim is to create a master plan for the area which Treasury Holdings will try to deliver.

"We have found that Stillorgan is not an easy place to get planning permission. After eight years we have received a good education in what local people don't want but not what they do want," he said.

With up to 400 people attending local residents' meetings about planning in the area, Treasury is expecting between 200 and 400 people at the various "brainstorming" events which will include workshops and hands-on planning groups.

The process will culminate in a presentation of a new plan for Stillorgan by architects John Thompson and Partners based on residents' suggestions next Tuesday, April 4th

Mr Adair said the two-day programme is aimed at getting the stakeholders to define their aspirations for Stillorgan so that Treasury can deliver a village centre/district centre within the parameters of what local people think is feasible.

Stillorgan needs a "tidy up" according to Mr Adair and the sense of place could be greatly improved with built architecture, open spaces and improved traffic.

Treasury now owns 11 acres of land in Stillorgan. In addition to the Stillorgan Shopping Centre and Blake's site (where the former restaurant is run as Bondi disco), it owns other pieces of land including Hamilton's yard and Bauman's yard.

The company has been refused planning permission for the 40-year-old Stillorgan Shopping Centre on three occasions by An Bord Pleanála and is now awaiting the decision on a fourth appeal to the planning board.

It has, however, received approval from An Bord Pleanála for plans to build a landmark commercial and apartment development ranging from six to 12 storeys, on either side of the N11 at Stillorgan.

A consultation approach similar to the one planned this weekend was taken at Spencer Dock in 2003 and more recently in Clondalkin. Here a very contentious scheme for a district was transformed into a very harmonious development, Mr Adair said.

The consultation will take place tomorrow and Saturday, March 31st and April 1st, in Kilmacud Crokes GAA club in Stillorgan, Co Dublin..

There will be an information desk in the Stillorgan Shopping Centre.