Dundrum Library/Civic Centre: Information and Inspiration.
Monday 31^st March, 8.00pm – 9.15pm

The Webinar will be chaired by Dr Paula Russell, Lecturer/Assistant Professor in Regional and Urban Planning, UCD School of Architecture

1. Introduction by Nick Armstrong.

2. “Designing civic places for people: some exciting possibilities”, by Philip Jackson.

3. “Restoring the heart of Dundrum: further thinking on the planned Civic Centre and Library”, by Anne Colgan.

Anne is a founding member and former chair of Imagine Dundrum and a local Councillor for many years.

4.   Questions, observations and suggestions from webinar participants for the panel.

Your questions and contributions will be an important part of the webinar as it is vital for local people to engage in these developments.

5.   Closing remarks by Dr Paula Russell.

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Imagine Dundrum strongly welcomes the An Bórd Pleanála decision to refuse planning permission for the Hammerson-Allianz Planning Application for 881 apartments on the site of the old Shopping Centre in Dundrum.

Vindication for the local community

The decision supports the comprehensive case made by Imagine Dundrum in our 170- page submission to An Bord Pleanála, and is a clear vindication and acknowledgement of the deep concerns of the local community, as expressed in over 700 objections to the proposals.

A celebration of Dundrum Main Street’s designation as an Architectural Conservation Area

One of the first achievements of Imagine Dundrum was to secure designation for Main Street as an Architectural Conservation Area. We are especially happy to see that An Bórd Pleanála gives as a key reason for the refusal of planning permission that the proposal would seriously detract from the architectural character of the area, and particularly the character of Main Street and the Dundrum Architectural Conservation Area.  The future of heritage buildings in Dundrum is secure.

Looking ahead: a plea for community engagement

The local community wants to see this site developed, but in a way that is right for the Village, the surrounding communities, and new residents who will come to live in Dundrum. We are very relieved that ABP have taken this decision’, but It is a source of considerable regret to us that Hammerson-Allianz chose not to engage with the community and share ideas for the best future for Dundrum Village, and that a great deal of time has been lost in moving forward towards an exciting and sustainable future for the Village. We now call on Hammerson-Allianz to commit to proactive engagement with the community ahead of any new Planning Application.

The draft Dundrum Local Area Plan was approved by the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Councillors at a special council meeting on October 10^th last and came into effect on 21^st of November.

The Local Area Plan can be viewed on the Council’s website at https://www.dlrcoco.ie/dundrumlap

Read Imagine Dundrum’s comments here

The Draft DUNDRUM LOCAL AREA PLAN (LAP) recently published by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, sets out a framework for important aspects of the future of Dundrum, including:

• The redevelopment of the Old Shopping Centre site and the Central Mental Hospital site
• Public open space, proposals for a new library and civic centre, housing, childcare and more
• Traffic flows and traffic management in and around Dundrum.

Read the Draft LAP at: https://www.dlrcoco.ie/dundrumlap  You can also find maps and read background research papers conducted in preparation for drafting the LAP.

Watch the Council’s information webinar about the draft LAP at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkonOHT6xY8

Imagine Dundrum is currently preparing its own detailed submission, which can be read on the website, along with all other submissions.

What happens after July 21^st?
* The Chief Executive’s Report
All submissions are examined by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown planners. A report, titled the Chief Executive’s Report, is published 6 weeks after the close of submissions on July 21^st.  This report, due on Monday September 4^th, responds to all the matters raised in submissions, and indicates whether proposals made in submissions, and suggested amendments to the draft LAP, are recommended by the planners.

During this 6-week period, Imagine Dundrum plans to hold ‘drop-in’ events for local people, to assist in finding out about the Chief Executive’s response to their submission. Details later.

* Councillors consider the Chief Executive’s Report
Following publication of the Chief Executive’s Report, elected members have 6 weeks to consider it before voting to accept the Report, or to put forward amendments (deadline Friday October 13^th).

* Material amendments
If Councillors vote to make changes that are considered to be significant changes to the original draft LAP, another process of public consultation, Chief Executive’s Report and Councillor voting takes place. After this vote, the Dundrum Local Area Plan will be formally adopted.

Celebrating the Slang River
In our last newsletter we reported on our project celebrating the biodiversity of the Slang River, which we undertook as part of the Burran Beo “Heritage Keepers” programme. The rich biodiversity of the Slang riverbanks – birds, trees, flowers, and insects – now features on a colourful poster designed for local schools and residents.We were delighted to present copies of the poster to a number of local primary schools. Our thanks to the Principals, teachers and pupils for the warm welcome and keen interest in the Slang and its riches! We plan to continue to link with other local school’s next term. We will also continue to find good ways of celebrating our local Slang River with the local community.Pupils of Holy Cross School enjoying the Imagine Dundrum poster presentation

Thank you for reading this update.  Do please send your questions and comments to: [email protected] and check our website and Facebook page for new announcements: www.imaginedundrum.ie and www.facebook.com/ImagineDundrum.

Best wishes from all the team,
Anne Colgan, Chair

60 people attended Imagine Dundrum’s third online webinar on December 6th 2022, all keen to hear where things stand with the Hammerson-Allianz planning application for the Old Shopping Centre, and looking to add to our understanding of both heritage and sustainability in the context of Dundrum.

The webinar was opened by Nick Armstrong of Imagine Dundrum, who confirmed that no decision had been issued by An Bord Pleanála, and no decision date had been set. In the interim, Imagine Dundrum’s commitment to its vision for the Village remained strong, and it was determined to make best use of the Ame by exploring important aspects of Dundrum’s future redevelopment, such as those chosen for this webinar.

Chair for the evening was Dr Paula Russell of UCD’s School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy, who has a special research interest in the role of community in planning. She spoke positively about Imagine Dundrum’s vision and its initiatives for influencing the Village’s future. She emphasised the importance of place-making and the need for ‘fine grain plans’ to provide context to communities and developers as urban areas like Dundrum change.

Deirdre Black, Heritage Officer with DLR County Council, brought the audience speedily through 10,000 years of Dundrum’s history up to the present, via a series of engaging maps, drawings and photographs. Her presentation concluded by identifying some outcomes likely to arise for Dundrum if certain options are adopted. Food for thought, indeed.

Dr Philip Crowe of UCD is a specialist in climate-responsive design and co-leads an EU project in Green Buildings and Neighbourhoods. Focusing on Dundrum, he explained the concept of “urban resilience”, why it is needed, and what it might mean in practice. His informative presentation added considerably to our understanding of the issues arising from current building practices, set against the background of our changing climate. This enhanced awareness can only increase the Dundrum community’s capacity to engage meaningfully in shaping future developments.

Dr Russell then ably managed a lively Q and A session, with all panelists contributing further valuable insights.

Finally, Anne Colgan, Chair of Imagine Dundrum, closed the evening by thanking the Chair and presenters for their generosity in providing their time and considerable expertise to the Dundrum community, sampling our further thinking on how best Dundrum Village should be developed. She felt sure that these insights would inform and strengthen Imagine Dundrum’s and the local community’s engagement with DLR County Council on the draft Local Area Plan for Dundrum, which is due early in 2023.

A video recording of the main presentations is available here.

You can read more about the event here and see the full programme here.