Brown Thomas, Arnotts, Jervis and the Ilac centre are among retailers and shopping centre owners who have formed a new “single issue” lobby group to oppose the planned street layout changing in Dublin city centre, according to the Sunday Times today.
All of the companies listed by the newspaper have one thing in common — they are owners of car parks, or, in the case of Brown Thomas, licence their name to a car park.
The new group is called Dublin City Traders’ Alliance (DCTA) and is reported to object to the planned College Green Plaza and other Luas Cross City related traffic changes, including reduced traffic on the quays. The transport plans for Dublin city centre are focused allowing Luas trams to cross the city centre, while keeping the bus network moving, giving more space to walking and cycling, and maintaining access to car parks.
The Sunday Times said that DCTA is headed by Noel Smyth, a solicitor who runs Fitzwilliam Real Estate Capital, and that it reported how the group has already met with city council officials and contacted councillors.
Read the full Sunday Times article: Dublin stores to fight pedestrianisation plan (subscription needed)
Here we go again…
Corporate parasites
I think this is the same Noel Smyth, adviser to Charlie Haughey, and Fianna Fáil donater! But we should be able to rest easy in that College Green Plaza is stitched into the new Dublin City Development Plan. There is no going back.