City residents should demand the real story

THE draft Dublin city development plan will go on public display before the end of the year. This is an extremely important document that will determine the shape of our city for a number of years to come.

Most people realise the significance of this document when there is a planning application near where they live or work. However, what will or will not be permitted will be decided in the next few months by the development plan.

Due to the complexity of this document, councillors decided to present the new draft plan alongside the existing plan with the proposed changes highlighted. This is essential in order to allow residents to read and understand the document readily.

The city manager and his officials, however, did not present the document to councillors, as had been agreed, and resist following the instructions of the elected councillors. This raises two important questions:

1. Will councillors quietly hand over another one of their few remaining responsibilities to the city manager?

2. What are the city manager and his officials trying to hide by going to such lengths to avoid presenting such a crucial document in a comprehensible manner?

For example, one of the controversial aspects of the draft plan is rumoured to be eight-storey buildings for anywhere in the city. I hope all residents will contact their councillors and ask for a copy of this document presented in the format that was agreed in its entirety – in other words, the old plan alongside the new one with all the changes clearly highlighted.

This is a simple operation and councillors can make it happen. Failure to do this may prove very costly for communities all around Dublin.

Pirooz Daneshmandi

Marne Villas

Rathdown Road

Dublin 7