Two thousand people have signed a petition to protect Kenilworth Square in Rathgar
Originally a community space when the houses were built in the 1850s, the three-hectare park has been used as sports grounds by St Mary’s College in Rathmines since 1947, when the college bought it from a previous leaseholder.
The school had applied for a planning exemption to allow it install an astroturf sports pitch and 1.2-metre fencing at Kenilworth Square. Dublin City Council (DCC) planners granted the exemption on August 22.
Martin Joyce, a spokesperson on behalf of the 1,900 people who signed a petition against these plans, told the Irish Independent that the decision was “extremely disappointing”.
“Section 5 exemption requests are for small scale developments such as garden sheds and rear extensions, to ensure local authority planners can operate in an efficient manner and decide on developments that actually require planning permission,” he said.
“The decision by Dublin City Council planners is extremely disappointing. It’s a radical development and change of use, so it should not be exempt from planning.
A Protect Kenilworth Square petition has almost 2,000 signatures
“St Mary’s approach has been to take advantage of a section of planning legislation for a purpose it was not designed for, with no regard for heritage, environment or the local community.
“The Exemption is merely Phase 1 of a major redevelopment, as outlined on their website, and it cannot be separated from St Mary’s overall redevelopment plans for an important Victorian Heritage Square.”
They also criticise the fact the exemption request “prohibits any submissions or third-party observations”, and the only option for objections is through a costly judicial review process.
Residents in the area fear this is only the beginning of the changes at Kenilworth Square.
The committee also has concerns about “irreversible biodiversity damage” to the area’s natural environment, as the plans involve chopping down eight heritage trees dating back to the latter half of the 19th century.
The petition to protect Kenilworth Square now has almost 2,000 signatures, which organisers say includes members of the St Mary’s College alumni as well as leaders and members of local sports clubs.
“This is not ‘Residents versus St Mary’s’ – this is far bigger than that, and the city-wide engagement to protect the square demonstrates that,” said a supporter of the Protect Kenilworth Square campaign.
Dublin City Council and St Mary’s College have been contacted for comment.
