Labour MEP for Dublin, Emer Costello, said that she is dismayed by an impending decision by Dublin City Council to scrap the Local Area Plan (LAP) for Phibsborough.

The LAP for Phibsborough was adopted by Dublin City Council in 2008 following widespread consultation with community and business stakeholders. It contained a wide range of initiatives that would have resulted in significant regeneration of the area. Officials from Dublin City Council have indicated in media reports today that the plan cannot proceed because of funding issues.

Commenting on the decision, Emer Costello said: "I was very disappointed to learn that the plan for Phibsborough is to be scrapped. The local community had high expectations and have been waiting patiently for the past five years to see it initiated.

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"A huge amount of work went into creating the plan at the time. The local community invested heavily in the consultation phase. At the time I tabled over forty amendments supporting the resident's proposals for the regeneration of the area.

"Unfortunately, over the decades, the area has been very much neglected by the authorities. Phibsborough is one of the most historic and vibrant villages of Dublin. It also contains some of the City's more strategic sites which are due for redevelopment such as the Mater Hospital, Dalymount Park, Mountjoy Prison, Phibsborough Shopping Centre, Cross Guns Bridge and the Smurfit Printworks.

"The Local Area Plan was a critical tool to ensure that Phibsborough could be developed on a planned basis, retaining its rich architectural and residential character and that all future developments are carefully planned and monitored. It is hugely regrettable that this plan has effectively gone up in smoke.

"Even with more limited resources, there was scope for some of the proposals of the Plan to take place, e.g. improvement of the public domain, development of public amenities such as the Royal Canal walks or along the new Luas line from Broadstone to Cabra along the old railway line.

"There is also no reason why the Architectural Conservation Areas proposed in the plan cannot proceed. The Council should also provide a traffic management plan for Phibsborough as was foreseen in the plan."

(CD/JP)