Dun Laoghaire Traffic & Commuting Chat

loyatemu

qb123 wrote: »

Regarding the main thoroughfare of George's street, that's a different issue that's been much discussed on this thread in the past. My tuppence worth would be to allow many of the vacant retail premises to be converted to residential, recognising oversupply of retail and lack of supply of residential.

This is probably a more general problem nationally but I've noticed a lot of the upper floors on Georges St are unused (or at least underused) - some effort to convert them into residential units would also have the effect of injecting some life into the street.

Captainsatnav

loyatemu wrote: »

This is probably a more general problem nationally but I've noticed a lot of the upper floors on Georges St are unused (or at least underused) - some effort to convert them into residential units would also have the effect of injecting some life into the street.

Issue with this in Cork as well, and indeed Limerick from my time there - See Bordeaux, Copenhagen Amsterdam, Malmo etc etc etc...city and town centres buzzing due to all floors of more 'classical' buildings being utilised as residential on upper floors, commercial at ground level.
We slavishly followed the disastrous UK model of suburbia - gardens & driveway for everybody in the audience.

Mebuntu

Dun Laoghaire seafront lacks a basic human requirement - toilets. Now, why is that?

Stephen15

Mebuntu wrote: »

Dun Laoghaire seafront lacks a basic human requirement - toilets. Now, why is that?

The Harbour Company wouldn't have had the money to cough up to maintain them until now that the council are in charge of the harbour. The ones that were on the pier were closed as they were filthy and an attraction for junkies to use to shoot up as they weren't properly unkept.

I'd imagine that toilets are part of the proposal for the redevelopment of the baths and there are public toilets although not always open in the peoples park and the library.

ted1

Mebuntu wrote: »

Dun Laoghaire seafront lacks a basic human requirement - toilets. Now, why is that?

Some down the pier, and also in the lexicon

Yet they have them in millinery beach car park and the vico.

frash

ted1 wrote: »

Some down the pier

They've been closed for years no?

RosieJoe

frash wrote: »

They've been closed for years no?

They have portaloos right down at the lighthouse, where Teddy's are

loyatemu

Captainsatnav wrote: »

Issue with this in Cork as well, and indeed Limerick from my time there - See Bordeaux, Copenhagen Amsterdam, Malmo etc etc etc...city and town centres buzzing due to all floors of more 'classical' buildings being utilised as residential on upper floors, commercial at ground level.
We slavishly followed the disastrous UK model of suburbia - gardens & driveway for everybody in the audience.

there was a "living over the shop" tax incentive some years back (possibly the 90s), don't know if it was a success. The problem with some of the units is that they're only accessible through the shop itself, but I'm sure this could be resolved if sufficiently incentivised.

Tabnabs

Turning commercial to residential can be done and has successful precedence in Dun Laoghaire already.

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/homes-and-property/from-retail-to-residence-in-d%C3%BAn-laoghaire-1.3451627

Blut2

They need to knock down the old shopping center and put up a huge apartment complex there. That would be the one thing that could actually make an instant, huge difference to the area. Thousands of young people moving into the area would revitalize every aspect of the local economy - shops, restaurants, pubs etc.

The old shopping center is just slowly bleeding out as things stand, it wouldn't be any great loss. Its a huge waste of premium space.

loyatemu

Blut2 wrote: »

They need to knock down the old shopping center and put up a huge apartment complex there. That would be the one thing that could actually make an instant, huge difference to the area. Thousands of young people moving into the area would revitalize every aspect of the local economy - shops, restaurants, pubs etc.

The old shopping center is just slowly bleeding out as things stand, it wouldn't be any great loss. Its a huge waste of premium space.

there's already a plan to move loads of young people into the area:
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/proposals-for-co-living-welcomed-by-many-murphy-says-1.3908108

fixXxer

Blut2 wrote: »

They need to knock down the old shopping center and put up a huge apartment complex there. That would be the one thing that could actually make an instant, huge difference to the area. Thousands of young people moving into the area would revitalize every aspect of the local economy - shops, restaurants, pubs etc.

The old shopping center is just slowly bleeding out as things stand, it wouldn't be any great loss. Its a huge waste of premium space.

Isn't that what's happened on the old golf course? The old shopping centre end of Dun laoghaire has always had shops, but they've largely been €2 style bargain basement, plastic tat stuff.

Nice to see Patrick street having a mini revival. The new pizza place, Kyoto and the bakery that sells the cruffin yokes are all delicious and worth visiting.

Blut2

loyatemu wrote: »

there's already a plan to move loads of young people into the area:
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/proposals-for-co-living-welcomed-by-many-murphy-says-1.3908108

Thats one medium sized building, on a small plot of land. Twenty times that number, in far better living conditions, would fit in apartments on the shopping center site.

frash

RosieJoe wrote: »

They have portaloos right down at the lighthouse, where Teddy's are

They're only accessible when the big blue gates are open (when Teddy's is open).

hatrickpatrick

Just heard the other day that a whole crapload of the boarded up shops in the main street (the old O'Briens, the internet cafe, etc) are owned by Dunnes Stores and they've been sitting on them the entire time they've been derelict for the last ten years :mad: As far as I'm concerned, this is where the council should be allowed to seize them at a fraction of their market value, to deter companies operating like this. I had no idea one company was responsible for so much of the dereliction in this town - not suggesting that they'd be thriving if they were occupied, but the fact that they've only recently been advertised as for sale or to let is ample evidence that Dunnes were simply hoarding them for the last decade and nothing more. Absolute scumbags if true.

Tabnabs

No business rates if the premises is classed as "derelict". No need to go seizing private property, they are merely playing the Council at their own rules. Blame the game, not the player.

Quite a few old units on Georges street look to be getting new tenants, DL looks to be returning to some form of prosperity. All it needs now is for the bitter local community to actually use their home town.

Homesick Alien

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

Just heard the other day that a whole crapload of the boarded up shops in the main street (the old O'Briens, the internet cafe, etc) are owned by Dunnes Stores and they've been sitting on them the entire time they've been derelict for the last ten years :mad: As far as I'm concerned, this is where the council should be allowed to seize them at a fraction of their market value, to deter companies operating like this. I had no idea one company was responsible for so much of the dereliction in this town - not suggesting that they'd be thriving if they were occupied, but the fact that they've only recently been advertised as for sale or to let is ample evidence that Dunnes were simply hoarding them for the last decade and nothing more. Absolute scumbags if true.

I understand the council did finally issue an ultimatum to Dunnes and that's why they have all suddenly gone up for rent/sale at the same time. Let's hope they dont drag out any potential sale for the same reasons they say on them so long i.e. preventing competition moving into the area.

hatrickpatrick

Tabnabs wrote: »

No business rates if the premises is classed as "derelict". No need to go seizing private property, they are merely playing the Council at their own rules. Blame the game, not the player.

The player still chooses to exploit the sh!ttiness of the game, so I blame the player as much as the game itself. As regards seizing commercial property, we already have a precedent for CPOs, I'm merely arguing that when it comes to wanton waste of an extremely scarce national resource, councils should be able to do this at knock down rates both (a) as a service to society's greater good, and (b) more importantly, as a deterrent for businesses to allow this kind of crap to happen in the first place.

fixXxer

The Blue internet café down by the Mc Donalds? That's interesting, I always wondered why it was left to rot.

Tabnabs

Coming to a leafy suburb near you, PP is granted.

Permission has been granted for a 208-bedroom co-living scheme in Dún Laoghaire on condition that each unit will have its own cooking facilities.

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2019/0730/1066058-co-living-dun-laoghaire/

Stephen15

Was it the council or ABP that granted permission as if it was the council then surely it could be appealed to ABP.

dublinman1990

Thank goodness I don't have to live in there. €1,300 a month for a rent for that place is a joke.

Stephen15

dublinman1990 wrote: »

Thank goodness I don't have to live in there. €1,300 a month for a rent for that place is a joke.

I know it's an absolute disgrace it's allowed to go ahead

Kingp35

Stephen15 wrote: »

I know it's an absolute disgrace it's allowed to go ahead

I don't have any problem with it going ahead, I would have had no problem living there in my early twenties. There needs to be different types of accommodation available for different people.

What I do have a problem with though is the outrageous rent as it will mean the people these will most suit will not be able to afford them.

ted1

Stephen15 wrote: »

I know it's an absolute disgrace it's allowed to go ahead

What’s wrong with it ?

Stephen15

ted1 wrote: »

What’s wrong with it ?

Showbox sized appartments, lack of privacy and the fact it's going to provide any solutionsfor the housing crisis my guess is it will be mostly filled with foreigners working in tech firms and not Irish families.

Tabnabs

Stephen15 wrote: »

Showbox sized appartments, lack of privacy and the fact it's going to provide any solutionsfor the housing crisis my guess is it will be mostly filled with foreigners working in tech firms and not Irish families.

Seeing as the "foreigners" are likely taking up large apartments that "Irish families" could be happy in, I would have thought you'd be happy with this development?!

Also, the 1950's called, they want their racism back...

ted1

Stephen15 wrote: »

Showbox sized appartments, lack of privacy and the fact it's going to provide any solutionsfor the housing crisis my guess is it will be mostly filled with foreigners working in tech firms and not Irish families.

It’s not an apartment, it’s a small enough room as are plenty of the rooms that people rent in houses or apartments, it has other living space which is shared as are rooms in a house share or apartment.
It has a gym unlike house shares or apartments. It’ll suit some people. Price includes all utilities and services so the 1300 would be the equivalent of paying about 1100 elsewhere

Kingp35

Stephen15 wrote: »

Showbox sized appartments, lack of privacy and the fact it's going to provide any solutionsfor the housing crisis my guess is it will be mostly filled with foreigners working in tech firms and not Irish families.

How is there a lack of privacy, they are private rooms. Also what's the problem with "foreigners" living there?

I get the feeling that you are one of those "we need to look after our own" type of person.

200 young professional people living in Dun Laoghaire is exactly what the place needs.