A major plan to renew and redevelop the north-east inner city area of Dublin has been put together by Dublin Corporation and planning consultants Urban Initiatives.
Mr Kelvin Campbell, of Urban Initiatives, outlined the plan, which has yet to be finalised, to the city council's planning and development committee. He said that apart from physically renewing the urban landscape, the plan would have a socio-economic dimension, including the provision of "creative industries". Partnership between communities and developers - including the corporation - is at its core.
The corporation will ask the Government for tax incentives for investment in the area.
Much of the housing stock in the target zone - which is bordered by O'Connell Street to the west, the Royal Canal to the north and Amiens Street to the east - is local authority social housing which dates from the period 1930 to 1960. Demolition of some of this stock is suggested, as well as restoration of blocks where that would be feasible.
Mr Tony Gregory TD (Ind) and Mr Joe Costello (Lab) stressed consultation with local people. Assurances were given by Mr Campbell and by senior corporation officials that there would be extensive liaison with corporation tenants in the area.
The district suffers from extensive deprivation and has high rates of crime, drug addiction and unemployment.
Mr Campbell said it would be a "principle" of new housing in the area that units would have their own front doors leading directly on to the street and "backyards facing on to other backyards" to reduce the opportunities for crimes such as burglary.
Other features of the plan highlighted in Mr Campbell's presentation included re-establishing important local urban "centres" or elements of the streetscape, such as the Five Lamps and the Gloucester Diamond, and finding new uses for the area's most outstanding building, Aldborough House, currently used by Telecom Eireann.
Councillors were told that the plan needs to be completed for presentation to the Department of the Environment by March 31st next, in order to avail of relevant funding.