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7th December 2017
10:42am GMT
During the summer, we heard talks about the big College Green project and how it would finally begin before the end of 2017.
The 12-18 month construction plan was set to be given the green light with its €10m facelift turning the area into a car-free, pedestrianised plaza that will be able to accommodate events for up to 15,000 people.
At the time, it was said that “the construction of College Green [would not] be compared to that of Luas Cross City. While there will be some disruption during the College Green works, it will be managed and contained and every effort will be made to keep it to a minimum.”
However, it looks like there will be no disruption at all until at least the end of Spring 2018 as Dublin Bus have thrown a spanner in the works, making a submission to An Bord Pleanála calling the plaza "socially regressive."
The company want to keep buses running through the Green and although they appeared to have agreed to the Plaza a year ago, it seems that they have since changed their minds.
According to The Irish Times, at the time of original submission, Dublin Bus head of operations Donal Keating - who was not completely convinced by the plan - attended the announcement and said: “Given the complexity of what has to be done here, I can see why this option was chosen.”
Their new submission, however, along with other submissions means that the board will have to consider another round of public consultation meaning they would not make a decision on the plaza until April 2018.
Keating said: “I wouldn’t entirely agree that we changed our tune but we looked at all of the issues and we put forward some suggestions as to what we think might be a better way of operating.
"Some people are looking at that and saying we’ve objected to the College Green plaza – and I suppose it’s a way of putting it.”
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