Stephen's Green plan slammed: 'It's like someone ran it through Chat GPT'
A Dublin City Councillor has slammed the St Stephen's Green Shopping Centre upgrade plan by comparing the design to one 'ran through Chat GPT'.
Green Party Councillor Claire Byrne has challenged the approval of the Shopping Centre's demolition, questioning if a development ignoring widespread objections violates the Dublin City Development Plan. She put forward a motion to the South East Area Committee on Monday asking why they spend years crafting the Dublin City Development Plan if council planners feel comfortable ignoring what is actually in it.
With provisions to protect the cultural and architectural heritage of the city, she said she’s “at an absolute loss” to make sense of how a plan that prioritises office space over culture would be approved. “It is genuinely like someone ran it through Chat GPT to get the results they wanted. Cherry picked objectives to find a narrative that tentatively supports its development,” she said.
“Because, honestly, time and again, this is another example, the City Development Plan is not worth the paper it is written on.” Following DCC’s approval to the demolition of the iconic building at the south end of Grafton Street, over 26,0000 have voiced their opposition to the redesign in a petition as part of the Save Stephen’s Green campaign. The planned demolition would include much of the shopping centre and its distinctive dome to provide capacity to accommodate 3,000 office workers.
“I am dead curious about that process. At what point of looking at that application did someone, or multiple people say, ‘Yes, with all the problems we have in the city, this is exactly what we need for Dublin right now.’ We need to knock down a building that a lot of people love and use it for more offices’,” Cllr Byrne said. She said the plan is particularly ironic given that the same council meeting included a report on preserving the architectural and cultural heritage of Grafton Street .
“How can you talk about streetscapes and architectural conversation areas on Grafton Street and then the same council has granted planning permission to demolish,” she said. “This just beggars belief. I’d love to know how these two decisions have been made separately from each other. Surely St. Stephen’s Green’s Shopping Centre is the pinnacle to the top of Grafton St and you’re just ignoring that.”
Cllr Byrne said it’s difficult to understand how this decision has been made while the city is “crying out for more cultural spaces” and Ireland sits in the middle of “ the worst housing crisis we have ever seen .” She said the Stephen’s Green demolition ignores public sentiment around the building, ignores over 26,000 signatures from concerned citizens, ignores protesters who demonstrated outside the centre, and ignores consistent opposition from representatives within the council chamber.
“This is happening over and over with decisions being made that ignore the City Development Plan to support more hotels, more office spaces and ignore the objectives that support more cultural spaces, more independent retail, and importantly more housing,” she said.
As one of the few indoor spaces in the city centre that offers toilets, changing facilities, a feeding room, and many more parent friendly resources, Cllr Byrne said that, as a mother, it is essential to preserve these offerings within the city centre. “I have whiled away hours there when my kids were small, and I still do,” she said.
“We are hearing all the time that city centre businesses don’t want people going out to Liffey Valley or Dundrum. This is going to push people out in their cars. How does that align with the Climate Action Plan?”
Cllr Byrne said the building also acts as a tourist attraction, with many visitors to the city photographing it on their stay. "I know it’s subjective and there are different views on the aesthetics of it. But at what point did this council start ignoring public sentiment? When did it become completely irrelevant," she asked.
The Save Stephen's Green campaign has lodged an appeal with An Coimisiún Pleanála to try and halt the demolition of the shopping centre, and Cllr Byrne said she can only hope that whoever is in charge of that decision will listen to the people and reject the planning. “Right now the public are not happy with Dublin City Council and I personally feel this decision is a damning indictment of the City Development Plan and local democracy,” she said.
Independent Cllr Mannix Flynn also voiced his opposition to the demolition of St. Stephen’s Green. Although he said he’s “not mad about” the current building, “it’s not acceptable to put up what would be worse.” He said it is “simply outrageous" that the planning had been approved and that DCC planners “need to be brave and protect the little bit of curiosity we have left” in Dublin city.
Right to Change Cllr Pat Dunne said it is not appropriate to utilise the space as offices, as the area has always been used by the public for entertainment and retail purposes. “It was the site of the Dandelion Market, The Green Cinema, and Rice’s Pub, there was never office accommodation there,” he said.
“The current building was an excellent replacement for the previous facilities that were very much loved by Dubliners,” he said. Cllr Dunne stressed that it’s important the city centre location remains a space for the general public and not office workers.
Similarly, Sinn Féin Cllr Kourtney Kenny said its vital for the cultural integrity of the city that public sentiment on this issue is listened to. She said that her entire life growing up in Dublin has been “marked by loss” as cultural spaces are consistently “gouged” and replaced.
She said DCC is going down a “dangerous path” by ignoring those opposing the demolition and that if this goes forward it will be a mistake. “It’s whitewashing the entire city with ugly brick, I can’t get on board with it,” she said.
In response to Cllr Byrne’s motion, a spokesperson from Dublin City Council said: “The planning rationale for the decision to grant planning permission for the redevelopment of St Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre (Planning Ref: WEB6013/25) is set out in the planner’s report and associated documentation, which detail how the proposal was assessed against the Dublin City Development Plan 2022–2028, relevant Ministerial Guidelines, and other material planning considerations.
“In accordance with the statutory planning process, it is not appropriate for the Planning Authority to comment further while the decision remains within the appeal period. Should an appeal be lodged, any objections to the decision and its alignment with the Dublin City Development Plan 2022–2028 will be considered by An Coimisiún Pleanála.”
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