Liberties renewal plan announcement ‘incomplete’

RIGHT: SWICN Chairperson, John Gallagher

By Laurence Mackin

THE recent Government announcement that the Liberties is to be included in the latest phase of urban renewal has met with mixed reaction.

Residential tax incentives contained in a plan to revive the Liberties/Coombe have been approved, but there is no progress on key commercial tax incentives for the area.

John Gallagher, Chairman of the South West Inner City Network (SWICN), welcomed the announcement of the residential incentives, but stressed that similar schemes are needed in the commercial sector.

"An increase in new apartments would not be sufficient cause for celebration. A scheme which covers residential, commercial and social aspects is what is needed to give the area the boost it needs," he said.

South-city TDs, however, have welcomed the Government’s announcement. Fianna Fail’s Sean Ardagh said he was delighted the Government had got a favourable result from the "European bureaucrats". He said run-down areas currently serve only as eyesores which "attract only people indulging in anti-social behaviour."

He also praised the "Trojan work done by community groups such as the South West Inner City Network (SWICN)", which he said has finally been rewarded by the announcement of the urban renewal project.

Fine Gael’s Gay Mitchell also welcomed the Minister’s announcement: "This is great news for the people of the south inner city," he said.

However, according to John Gallagher, the Government’s urban renewal scheme does not satisfactorily address social problems present in the area. Without tackling these, he said, urban renewal could not be said to have been completed.

An announcement as to whether the green light will be given to commercial incentives in the Liberties revival plan is not expected until he Summer, almost one year later than originally scheduled. The Liberties/Coombe Integrated Area Plan (IAP) was drawn up last year in consultation between Dublin Corporation and SWICN. However, serious questions over the Plan’s key tax incentives to promote urban renewal were raised last August.

The incentives must be given the green light by the European Commission before being included in the Plan.