Victory for Tolka Park campaigners as Dublin City Council recommends against rezoning

Dublin City Council has recommended to abandon plans to rezone Tolka Park for residential use.

In a boost to campaigners who want to save the stadium, the Council noted the “large volume” of submissions made, some which stated that rezoning the stadium would “be selling our past and stealing our children’s future”.

In 2016 Shelbourne came to an agreement with Dublin City Council to move to a redeveloped Dalymount Park as co-anchor tenants with Bohemians.

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The ‘Save Tolka Park’ campaign was formed to oppose the move, with campaigners wanting to “keep public land for public use”.

Thousands signed an online petition to save the ground from being sold to private developers.

Earlier this year, Shelbourne expressed their wish to remain at Tolka Park to the Council.

In a document released today, DCC chief Owen Keegan recommended that Tolka Park be preserved for sports use.

He said: “Dublin City Council acquired both Tolka Park and Dalymount Park in order to ensure that both clubs, which were struggling post-recession, could be retained in the city.

“The intention was to develop one municipal stadium capable of accommodating both football clubs. Given the strong heritage, including international matches associated with Dalymount, both clubs and DCC agreed that the new municipal stadium should be at Dalymount, to be partly funded by the disposal of the Tolka Park grounds.

“However, more recently Shelbourne have indicated to the City Council that they are exploring options which will include plans to utilise Tolka Park for football/sports use.

“Having regard to these circumstances and the zoning in the draft plan is for Z9: To preserve, provide and improve recreational amenity, open space and ecosystem services the chief executive is not recommending that the zoning of the site be changed to a residential/ mixed use zoning objective.

“It is recommended that existing objective G1051 (renovation of Dalymount Park) be expanded to include Tolka Park.”

The Council also said they plan to redevelop Richmond Park following a submission by St Patrick’s Athletic.

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