|
PLEASE NOTE!
No letters will be published unless full contact details (Phone Number / Address), have been submitted with same, not necessarily for publication.
If the Parking Vanishes, so does Lucan's Heart
Hello friends,
It's Grainne here from Ryan's Village Cafe. Since Michelle and I opened our doors back in 2014, our cafe has been more than just a place to grab a coffee - it's been a meeting point, a resting place, and, I'd like to think, part of the heart of Lucan. Our staff come from right here in the village and surrounding areas, so we know what matters to our community.
That's why I'm writing with both concern and determination about the Council's latest move to take away eight parking spaces outside Brookvale on Lucan Road.
When the Greenway plan was approved in 2022, we were given a clear assurance: the existing parking in Lucan would not be touched. That promise mattered. It reassured us that the Council understood how vital parking is to businesses, to residents, and to older members of our community. To see that promise being reversed now feels like trust is being broken.
We all know Lucan's challenges: our streets are narrow, limited car parking, and our businesses depend on quick-stop access. The Council's own report said as much - removing parking would damage trade and livelihoods. So why ignore that?
What troubles me even more is how the Council has handled the recent consultation. Councillors, I say this respectfully but firmly: listening to 150 online surveys that only allowed 'yes' answers, while dismissing over 850 written submissions from locals as 'repetitive,' is not fair representation. Those 850 voices are the heartbeat of Lucan - parents, pensioners, workers, and shopkeepers - and they cannot be brushed aside.
I am proud of Lucan. I believe in making it safer, greener, and better connected. But progress must not come at the cost of cutting off access to the very businesses and services that make our village thrive.
So, my call is simple: let's honour the commitments that were made, let's listen properly to all voices in our community - online and offline - and let's work together on solutions that keep Lucan both vibrant and accessible.
With respect and determination,
- Grainne
Ryan's Village Cafe, Lucan
|
