Green Party launches vision for Moore Street

News

The Green Party today launches its vision for Dublin’s Moore Street Area. A copy of the document will be presented to Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Malcolm Noonan TD and will also be submitted to Dublin City Council as part of the Dublin City Development Plan review.The vision document calls for an Architectural Conservation Area to be prepared for Moore Street and its surroundings, and for mixed-use new development that is in sympathy with the area’s history and heritage. Moore Street and its immediate surroundings have suffered from decades of neglect. There is now an extraordinary opportunity to commemorate the past and permit development in sympathy with its surroundings.The document also emphasises that central government, market traders, retailers, landowners, and Dublin City Council must work together. It acknowledges the work undertaken by the Expert Group on Moore Street, the Lord Mayor’s Forum on Moore Street, the 1916 Relatives Groups and others. However, it says urgent action is required to halt deterioration and regenerate the area.Neasa Hourigan TD for Dublin Central states, “Moore Street is not just part of Dubliners’ history and experience of the city – it is a site of national importance. For too long the street has been allowed to decay. We are submitting this document with our vision for a vibrant, diverse and thriving street that weaves historical importance into the heart of city life with the commitment that better days are soon to come.Councillor Donna Cooney, Chair of the Lord Mayor’s Forum on Moore Street said, “As a long time campaigner for the preservation of Moore Street’s 1916 heritage and as a relative of Elizabeth O’Farrell, the story of the significance of Moore Street has been in our family heritage for generations. I’m very grateful in my role as Chair of the Lord Mayor’s Forum on Moore Street, Chair of the Expert Group on Moore Street Market and member of the Minister’s Consultative Group of Moore Street, to be in a position with my Green colleagues and others, to help realise our vision for the future of this unique area that needs sensitive restoration and revitalisation.”North Inner City Councillor Janet Horner said, “Moore Street is at the heart of the city’s history and culture and the traders are at the heart of its communities. The future of Moore Street must embrace the history and heritage of the area and the diversity of the community.Ciarán Cuffe MEP for Dublin said, “A vision for the Moore Street area is long overdue. We are submitting this document to the Dublin City’s Development Plan review, and to our colleagues in Government. Dublin City Council must not let developers call the shots. We need a vision that cherishes our heritage, provides housing, and promotes the Market. As a first step we want the Architectural Conservation Area for O’Connell Street to be extended to take in the Moore Street area.”The Plan proposes the following:Commemorate and safeguard the 1916 legacyHeritage protection must focus on building and neighbourhood renovations and personal testimonies that bear witness to history on living streets.Revitalise the Moore Street Market Dublin City Council must see street markets as an opportunity rather than as a threat to the area’s future.Enhance O’Connell StreetDublin City Council should appoint a Street Manager whose job is to improve the nation’s capital street and rescue it from neglect and takeaways. Protect existing heritage buildingsDublin City Council should prepare a plan to restore Parnell Square to its former glory.Promote mixed-use developmentPlanners must recognise that the days of large, enclosed shopping centres are over. Instead, they should focus on place-making and small-scale development that improves the public realm.Rethink travel and mobilityNo new carparks are needed in the city centre. Walking, cycling and public transport are the travel modes of the future.Provide homes as well as shoppingWe are in a housing crisis. Any large development site must contain a significant share of public housing.Make Parnell Square a public parkNow is the time to reclaim Parnell Square as a green lung for the city, rather than use it for car parking.Build near-Zero Energy BuildingsAll new construction must be built to an nZEB (Near-Zero Energy Building) standard.Recognise and support new communitiesDevelop Moore Street, the market and the wider area with a consideration for the vibrancy and diversity that already exists in new communities that have made the street their own.Reclaim the streets and green the cityAccess for all demands a ‘Universal Design’ to movement on foot within the area to facilitate people who are young, old, and those with disabilities. Wider footpaths, more greenery and street trees with less parking spaces can foster social contact.Use culture to fuel creativityCulture is key to the regeneration of Moore Street. Respect for the past and a fostering of market trading and caring for our heritage can ensure a bright future for the area.Click here to read the full proposal: A Vision For Moore Street.

published

February 18, 2021

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