Council rejects plans for Ballyfermot gaming arcade, citing proximity to schools
Dublin City Council (DCC) has rejected controversial plans for a gaming arcade in the south Dublin suburb of Ballyfermot, which was campaigned against vigorously by local residents and councillors.
The proposal, submitted by Alejandro Garcia, would have turned what was an old butcher shop at 304 Ballyfermot Road into an arcade with rows of slot machines and a redesigned internal layout.
In its rejection, the authority said a gaming arcade in this location would be too close to existing residential areas, schools, and places of worship, and would set an undesirable precedent. There are three primary schools and a church within a 10-minute walk of the site.
Reacting to news of the rejection, local Sinn Féin councillor Daithí Doolan said it was “a victory for common sense and this whole community.
"The plans for a gambling arcade in Ballyfermot were never going to be supported by the public. Following a very successful public meeting we launched a campaign. We mobilised residents, youth services and community groups and submitted a detailed objection to the plan for this gambling arcade,” he said.
"It is great to see Dublin City Council taking on board our concerns and rejecting this plan,” he added, but cautioned that the community would need to stay “vigilant” against any future applications.
"Gambling has nothing good to offer any other community. We have enough bookies and betting shops in Ballyfermot. We want this retail unit to be opened up as a shop, sports outlet, or a restaurant.”
In submissions to the authority, several councillors and residents voiced significant concerns with the gaming arcade proposal.
Green Party councillor Ray Cunningham wrote that the city’s development plan does not permit such arcades in this area, adding that they are “a plague on communities”.
Independent councillor Vincent Jackson wrote that Ballyfermot had “high levels of social deprivation and substantial addiction issues” that would be exacerbated by the presence of a gambling arcade.
Mr Jackson said that schools, addiction services and youth services in the vicinity had all asked that the project not go ahead.
"Permission for such a facility will have a profoundly negative effect on the area with no obvious positives,” he wrote.
Defending the proposal, the applicant pointed to the creation of seven full-time jobs on opening and the desire to bring a “long-term vacant” unit back into use.