I’m Brandon Byrne, D15 resident and former worker at the Blanchardstown Centre. I’m launching this Go Fund Me with other residents to raise money to appeal and fight the planned parking charges at Blanch Centre. Like so many others in our community I was outraged when I heard about plans to implement parking barriers and tolls there . Even more so when Fingal Council granted planning permission.
Workers (many on minimum wage ) should not have to pay to go to work and we shouldn’t have to pay extra to do our shopping while the cost of living is already so high.
Not to mention we’ll be charged an access fee for essential services - the Library, Post Office, Draoicht, the credit union, banks, medical facilities, and Fingal Council offices. This will have an even greater impact on older and disabled people who rely on cars.
We should remember that this is more than a shopping center - it’s a town centre with essential facilities for the community.
These charges are totally unnecessary. The car parks are only at capacity at peak times so saying it’s about making parking more efficient is very cynical. This will cause even more overflow parking in the neighbouring estates. There is no hiding the real reason: a blatant profit grab by the vulture fund owners, to fleece workers and communities already squeezed by the cost of living crisis.
We can fight this. A campaign, Blanch Centre for People Not Profit has been launched and we will lodge an Appeal against this regressive decision to An Coimisiún Pleanála.
In order to have the strongest possible case we have engaged a planning consultant and a traffic consultant who will complete full professional reports on the impact this will have on traffic congestion and challenge many of the claims made by the Blanchardstown Centre owners, Strategic Value Partners, in their application .
Costs for engaging traffic consultants planning consultants are circa €6k and we are hoping to recoup this through the GoFundMe.The campaign has also incurred costs for posters and leaflets to inform the community and to organise 2 protests at the Town Centre - the next being Sat 6 December 1pm
Please help out with any amount you can afford.
Organizer
Brandon B
Organizer