Mount Merrion earmarked for Traveller accommodation

A proposal to build Traveller accommodation on a site in one of the wealthiest areas of Dublin is to come up for debate as a draft Traveller accommodation plan is put out to public consultation by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.

The site on Mount Anville Road in Mount Merrion with views of Dublin Bay has been proposed for Traveller accommodation since 1985.

Strong local opposition combined with occupation of the site as a council depot had prevented it progressing, but its development now looks closer than ever. The depot is almost vacant and the latest Draft Traveller Accommodation Programme 2014-2018 describes Mount Anville as suitable for five group housing units and at "pre-design stage".

11 sites
The site is one of 11 listed to provide 48 units of accommodation over the lifetime of the plan. The others are at Cloragh in Rathfarnham; Enniskerry Road in Sandyford; Glenamuck Road in Kiltiernan; Lehaunstown near Cherrywood; Pottery Road in Dún Laoghaire; Rathmichael Road near Cherrywood; Stillorgan Grove in Stillorgan; the West Pier at Dún Laoghaire Harbour; and a site at UCD.

All 11 sites with 48 units of accommodation were proposed as part of the previous accommodation programme.

Mount Anville has also been included on a list of council properties to be sold to help fund the council’s capital programme. Currently, 78 Traveller families are in permanent accommodation in the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown area, with 36 families waiting for permanent accommodation.

Of the 11 sites proposed, Mount Anville is among three owned by the council and suitable for development in the shorter term.

Local councillor Barry Saul (FG) said councillors had been given assurances Mount Anville would be sold and the proceeds used to fund community facilities. Even in a depressed market, “the premium site overlooking Dublin Bay” could raise €3 or €4 million.

“They could realistically buy three or four other sites for Traveller accommodation in the county for the money they would get for this,” he said.

'Expensive' land
"From an economic point of view this makes absolutely no sense. This would be the most expensive Traveller accommodation in the country."

Mr Saul denied it was a case of “not-in-my-backyard” and said there were three sites for Traveller accommodation in Stillorgan under the new plan, more than any other area.

Catherine Morley, director of Southside Traveller Action Group said the organisation welcomed the council’s acknowledgement that private rented accommodation was not the preferred option. She said the organisation was hopeful the target number of units would be reached in the lifetime of the plan, but were concerned at the lack of provision of a transient site in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown.

Submissions on the draft plan may be sent to the council up to December 22nd.