Residents at Hardwicke Street flats protest over parking and safety issues

Thirty-six years after a group of residents protested for six months outside Hardwicke Street flats in Dublin 1 over traffic problems and parking, many have returned to the picket line in a bid to sort out safety concerns.
Generations of families have been raised in the city centre flats established in the 1900s on a lane in the shadow of St George’s Church near the Rotunda Hospital.
The residents succeeded in making the lane, now a road, into a one-way system in 1988 and subsequently a cul-de-sac 22 years ago. But they say they now face fresh problems due to non-residents who drive into the city centre for work and shopping taking their parking spaces.
Ellen Colgan (54), who has lived in the flats all her life, said she was worried a child may be knocked down due to the number of vehicles using the lane.
In 1988 the residents marched to the Dáil over their concerns.
Ms Colgan, who works in respite, said the residents living in the 210 flats had been subjected to verbal and physical abuse for standing up to non-residents parking at their complex.
She said residents were “fed up over the lack of action by Dublin City Council over the issue” and by the threats from non-residents they have been receiving.
“Residents who can’t park their cars here as a result have to park several streets away and at night-time that can feel unsafe which is not right and again heightens our worries,” she said.
Rents in the council run flats have and still vary monthly from €80 up to €700.
Gates have been erected into Hardwicke Street but have not been electrified despite requests from residents who believe it would stop members of the public parking in the complex.
“There really is a health and safety issue now. The fact that there is no allotted parking is adding to the problem along with there being no CCTV. The council is continuously fobbing us off,” Ms Colgan said.
One resident who did not wish to be named explained that residents had been threatened after approaching people parking in their flat complex.
Dublin City Council was contacted for comment but did not respond prior to publication.
“When we voiced our concerns first, Cóilín O’Reilly, who was working with the council, did whatever he could to help us and indeed met us on several occasions to allay our fears but since he left, our worries have fallen on deaf ears,” Ms Colgan said.
“We had been promised that the gates would be electrified but that has been at a standstill for a long time over claims there’s an issue over a right of way raised by the council but this street is now a cul-de-sac. We don’t understand why this is now a concern.”
Resident Phyllis Storey said she was “extremely worried” for the residents’ safety adding “all we want is normality, to be able to park our cars and not be intruded upon”.
Independent north inner city councillor and a former lord mayor of Dublin, Christy Burke, who previously lived in the area and joined the residents in their 1988 protest, called on “senior council management to come to the table in order to resolve the ongoing issues regarding parking and the electrification of the gates”.