The Office of Public Works (OPW) has doubled down on its opposition to a stop for the planned Metrolink at St Stephen’s Green.
The state agency has argued a new stop for the underground would cause a “direct, severe, negative, profound and permanent impact on the heritage value of the green”, according to new planning documents.
The OPW’s submission to An Bord Pleanála earlier this month said that “while the OPW supports the objective of modern metro infrastructure for Dublin and the State, the OPW is also of the view that delivery of such infrastructure cannot be at the expense of Ireland’s national heritage”.
Proposals by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) “would not seem sufficiently sympathetic to the history and environment of the spaces within and around the Green”, according to OPW.
The €9.5 billion metro line would run from Swords to Charlemont and would comprise 16 stops including Dublin Airport and the city centre. It would have the capacity to carry up to 20,000 passengers per hour in each direction, and up to 53 million passengers annually.
TII submitted the planning application to An Bord Pleanála in September 2022, expecting the planning process to take 12-18 months.
Despite the planning hearings that ran from February 19 to March 28 this year, OPW said the use of the park was still “unagreed”. During the course of the hearings, OPW characterised the plan as a “demolition or destruction” of St Stephen’s Green. The OPW said construction would necessitate the removal of historic monuments, paving, and sculptures. 64 trees would be cut down permanently.
St Stephen’s Green is a national monument that has been protected under law since 1877. The OPW has a statutory obligation to preserve this public amenity. Works that defy this objective are defined as demolition under the law.
Declan McGrath, barrister for TII, stated during a hearing that “TII does not consider the proposal for Stephen’s Green in any way a demolition of Stephen’s Green”.
Dr Ronan Hallissey, a TII representative, said earlier this year that TII has tried to “avoid the green where possible”, but that “reluctantly” construction would “impact on 5 percent of the area of the park”.
The proposed stop at St Stephen’s Green East is a key part of the MetroLink plan. It would allow for connection with the Luas Green Line and with surrounding bus routes. The station would service the Government Departments, schools and office buildings in the area, as well as Grafton Quarter.
