PLANNING PERMISSION FOR a “gaming and amusement arcade” in the north Dublin suburb of Ballymun has been refused. 

A proposal were submitted to Dublin City Council in May to open the facility on the Ballymun Road, near the junction with Santry Avenue, in a vacant retail unit on the ground floor of an apartment block. 

Planning documents state that the proposed arcade would open daily from 10am to 10pm and would “feature a diverse range of gaming machines for interactive entertainment”, adding that customers will pay to use the machines.

HSE addiction services, youth and community projects, sports clubs, businesses, residents, TDs and councillors were among those to condemn the proposed facility as inappropriate and harmful.

A representative of HSE addiction services in Ballymun described bringing such an arcade to one of the most socially disadvantaged areas in the state as “exploitative”.

In a decision issued last week, Dublin City Council has refused planning permission for the facility. 

Floor plans for the proposed arcade filed with Dublin City Council. Dublin City Council Dublin City Council

The council said that while the proposed use would generally be acceptable in urban  villages, a policy in the Dublin City Development Plan 2022-2028 includes a presumption against the development of gaming or other amusement machines in close proximity to residential areas, “as is the case in this instance”.

“Having regard to the proximity of the subject site to existing residential property, it is considered that, in the absence of sufficient justification, the provision of an amusement centre at this location would be contrary to Policy CCUV14 of the development plan and would, by itself and by the precedent it would set for other similar development in the vicinity, be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.”

People Before Profit TD Conor Reddy was one of a number of politicians who objected to the facility. He previously told The Journal that at least 30 written objections were sent to the council by the local community. 

In a statement today, Reddy called the planning refusal “a victory for people power and common sense”. 

“This was a textbook example of a community standing up for itself,” he said.

“This gambling arcade would have added to problems that the community has struggled hard to beat for years. It would have undermined the incredible work being done by local people and organisations to build a healthier, safer, more resilient Ballymun.”

Dublin City Council granted planning permission for a similar gaming and amusement arcade in nearby Finglas village in April, a decision that is now under appeal to An Bord Pleanála.

Reddy said he was hopeful that the refusal for the Ballymun facility “will be a sign of things to come, that communities and their wellbeing are finally being prioritised over predatory business models”.

He urged residents and the council to “think proactively about how to fill vacant units in Ballymun with projects that serve the public good”.

“Ballymun is the perfect place to realise the vision of Community Wealth Building that’s in the Dublin City Development Plan. This community deserves quality services, inclusive spaces, and sustainable development, and this decision puts us one step closer.”

With reporting from Valerie Flynn