Dublin City Council approves the demolition of Georgian buildings on Thomas Street.
Thomas Street in The Liberties is one of seven areas in Dublin designated an Architectural Conservation Area (ACA) by Dublin City Council (DCC). Controversially DCC has given permission for the demolition of three semi-derelict Georgian buildings on the street.
Dublin Civic Trust CEO Graham Hickey is critical of the planning decision.
Thomas Street is one of the best examples in Dublin of a historic streetscape with buildings dating from over three centuries of development.
Aidan Scully, CEO of the commercial property investment company Invsti believes their plan for a glass-fronted office block on the site is sympathetic to the original buildings. This development could bring a lot of people to the area, invigorating the locality as,
Thomas Street is the street the boom forgot.
The Dublin Civic Trust does not believe DCC are enforcing regulations on shopfronts and signage in other conservation areas like Grafton Street. Dublin City Council head of planning and economic development Jim Keogan disagrees. DCC receives about 1,000 planning complaints a year. Every one of them is investigated and if required enforcement notices are served.
Just because an area is designated an ACA people's habits do not necessarily change.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 15 August 2014. The reporter is John Kilraine.
