Madam, - Writing about "cultivating a cultural dockland" (The Irish Times, September 5th), Brian O'Connell states that Stack A in the IFSC was earmarked for cultural activity.
Stack A was designated the major cultural anchor and public amenity in the IFSC, as stipulated in the terms of the CHDDA Master Project Agreement 1988, and the Planning Schemes of 1994 and 1998, and the Dublin Docklands Area Master Plan 1997. A subvention or mandatory payment of €1.5 to €2 million a year, conditional on the installation of a museum in Stack A, is included in the lease agreements of all tenants of the IFSC. However, the cultural and monetary value of the Stack A site has vanished: it is now CHQ, a fully retail commercial centre, having been refurbished to the tune of €25 million of taxpayers' money.
DDDA planning schemes are exempt from the need to obtain planning permission under the Local Government Planning and Development Acts, 1963-1999 and the Planning and Development Act, 2000. This leeway allows a shift from stated objectives for specific land uses to more general ambiguities - "global objectives". A factor of intentionality ("we intend to") can dilute, alter, or cancel planning commitments to public amenities.
On the basis of our experience in lobbying the CHDDA/DDDA for cultural amenities in the Docklands, we would be sceptical about future promises. So far, the benefit margin has tilted toward business and development interests. The resurrection of the museum element for the IFSC would be a contribution to the overall plan for cultural amenities and we devoutly look to this. - Yours, etc,
ROSEMARY KEVANY,
Discovery, (Dublin Interactive Science Centre Project),
Killiney,
Co Dublin.