Parking a key concern for new Shankill development: 'It's not Clapham Junction'

Plans for 359 new homes in Shankill are moving forward, but councillors have raised concerns over insufficient parking provisions and a lack of local infrastructure

Add to preferred sources News Stephen Holland Local Democracy Reporter 12:52, 14 Oct 2026 View Image Artist's rendering of Woodbrooke DART Gateway (Image: Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council)

Plans for 359 new homes in Shankill are moving forward - but parking provisions remain a key concern.

Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown councillors have granted a Part 8 for the Woodbrook DART Gateway, which will provide hundreds of new homes across two apartment blocks. With one block of cost rental and another for social and affordable homes, the scheme should be on site by March 2027 and units ready for residents to move in by early 2030.

In accordance with the county development plan and government policy, the initial proposal included provision for 137 car parking spaces. Following public consultation, a new design added 54 extra parking spaces, but councillors believed this was still not sufficient.

Located beside Woodbrook DART Station between Shankill and Bray, the development is informed by government policy that parking should be minimised, reduced, or even eliminated at urban locations served by public transport and active travel routes. Councillors argued that one DART station does not eliminate people’s need for a car and that even the extra spaces would still leave plenty of incoming residents with nowhere to park.

A motion tabled by Fine Gael Councillor Jim Gildea was widely supported and requested an additional 50 car parking spaces be provided at “a suitable location adjacent to Woodbrook Gate”. He asked these spaces be available for no less than the next 10 years and be delivered before any of the new units are occupied.

With no supermarket or schools within walking distance and a promised Luas extension years away, Cllr Gildea said appropriate parking provision is necessary. While he believes the future predicted by the government where “we all cycle around the place” rather than drive is “not going to happen,” he said if that does “come to pass” then he has no problem with the spaces being removed a decade from now.

Citing the parking problems already faced by residents in Shanganagh Castle estate in Shankill, he said measures are needed to mitigate potential problems. “If we go ahead, we’d be in a much worse situation than Shanganagh Castle, which is dire at the moment,” he said.

People Before Profit Cllr Dave O'Keeffe welcomed the inclusion of social and affordable housing, but also expressed concern about repeating the parking issues seen at Shanganagh Castle. He stated that what should have been "one of the happiest times of their lives" have becoming "miserable," as residents constantly row with neighbours and are forced to defend a disabled parking bay.

Government policy to reduce car parking spaces has caused significant problems for residents around Dublin , sparking tensions between neighbours . In some instances, residents have even reported cars being keyed or air let out of tyres due to parking disputes.

Fine Gael Cllr Jacqueline Burke said the Woodbrook area is being treated like an urban centre near Dublin city when it is not. She pointed out that Shankill is 17km from the city centre, and although there may be DART and bus services it is not exactly “Clapham Junction”.

Speaking of healthcare professionals, nurses, people in catering and many other professions that are not well served by public transport, she said they will make people’s lives “a misery” if they don’t have assurances about where they can put their car when they come home.

Social Democrat Cllr John Hurley too highlighted that “not everyone can rely exclusively on public transport” and that there is an onus on the National Transport Authority to provide a rail network of multiple lines if it’s expected to serve everyone’s needs. But he also said people have the opportunity to evaluate whether what’s available at Woodbrook suits their needs before deciding to move there.

A lack of appropriate infrastructure in the area was also a key concern among councillors. Labour Councillor Carrie Smyth passed a motion calling on the Minister for Education and Youth to prioritise a primary school at Woodbrook, and another for the HSE to ensure the resources at the Shankill Primary Care Centre are increased to meet the needs of the growing population.

This content is funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme

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