Council Briefs: Land for a Hindu temple in D15, tackling illegal dumping, and refurbishing Shackleton’s Mill

Land for a Hindu temple in D15

Fingal county councillors voted on Monday to lease 2.78 acres of council land to Apurva Charity, which says it plans to develop a Hindu temple and community space.

The deal is to give Apurva a 250-year lease on the land. The land’s market value is €850,000, and the council is asking for a “capital payment” of €425,000, and an annual rent of €35.30, to be reviewed after five years, a council report says.

Last Thursday, councillors on the local area committee had backed the proposed sale of the land in Tyrrelstown, sending it on for the final decision of the full council at its March monthly meeting on Monday.

Labour Councillor John Walsh supported the sale, calling it a facility that will be open and inclusive, at the Blanchardstown-Mulhuddart/Castleknock/Ongar Area Committee on Thursday.

“This is a long term request from the Indian community in Dublin 15, and there’s been a discussion for a place of worship – for a Hindu temple – for up to 10 years,” Walsh said.

Other councillors chimed in with approval.

“I know that the council has been working very hard in the background to achieve this, and I’m delighted to see that they have been allocated the land,” said Labour Councillor Mary McCamley.

Of course, there are many more steps that must take place in the development process before there will be a temple, McCamley said.

At the meeting of the full council a few days later, Aontú Councillor Ellen Troy moved to defer a decision on the lease. But Walsh, the Labour councillor, argued for the council to make a decision at that meeting.

In the end, 23 councillors voted for the lease, Troy and her party colleague Gerard Sheehan abstained, and National Party Councillor Patrick Quinlan voted against.

In a statement on its website titled “Historic Announcement”, Apurva said it was “delighted” with the council’s decision.

“We will update you on next steps, including hosting an event to mobilise the necessary resources in the coming weeks,” it said.

Apurva founder and director Ramakrishna Achanta posted on his LinkedIn account, “I had an idea to build a Hindu Temple, which represents the divine abode of God. A little like a spiritual ‘Disneyland’ and equally a place of worship.”

“This temple will serve religious, spiritual, educational, social and cultural needs of the growing Indian community in Dublin and beyond,” he wrote.

CCTV to tackle illegal dumping

CCTV cameras should be put up to catch illegal dumpers on Porterstown Road, said

Sinn Féin Councillor Angela Donnelly and Fine Gael Councillor Siobhan Shovlin in motions to the Blanchardstown area committee meeting on Thursday.

Donnelly’s motion included photos of black bin bags, shopping carts, and other waste submerged in the green foliage of early spring. The area is a “litter blackspot”, she said.

After the enactment of legislation allowing the use of CCTV to catch illegal dumpers, councils last year got set up to roll out cameras.

In identical written responses to both motions, Grainne Carroll, administrative officer at the council, told the councillors that Fingal had analysed complaints and picked two areas with “high levels of illegal dumping and littering” for consideration for CCTV.

Porterstown Road isn’t one of them, Carroll said.

However, “The Litter warden inspects this area on a daily basis. We have had four reports of dumping on this road since January. No evidence has been found on these occasions and therefore no fines have issued,” Carroll wrote.

“The litter warden will continue to monitor this area in an attempt to find evidence and issue litter fines on the perpetrators,” she wrote.

Councillors pushed back. Labour Councillor John Walsh argued the site should be in the top three for CCTV installation.

Carroll wrote, “We will be reviewing all litter blackspots over the coming months with a view to obtaining approval for CCTV and commencing installation throughout 2025.”

At the meeting, Carroll said there were drawbacks to using CCTV, including that it would take loads of time for litter wardens to review the footage.

Refurbishing Shackleton’s Mill

The council should develop a plan to restore Shackleton’s Mill, Labour Councillor John Walsh said in a motion to the Blanchardstown area committee on Thursday.

The historic flour mill dates back to 1776, according to the Irish Architectural Archive. It was owned by the family of Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton, according to the council.

For the past two decades, plans have been floated for potential repurposings the building, but at this point, the building is vacant.

In 2018 the council looked at turning it into a visitor attraction, with maybe a cafe and shops, and some apartments. The cost back then was estimated at €30 million to €31 million.

In the council’s 2025–2027 Capital Programme there’s €270,000 for the mill’s conservation, including stabilisation and renovations to roof and windows.

“A Conservation Plan for the mill will be published and launched in Quarter three this year,” according to a report by Declan Power, senior executive officer in the council’s Economic, Enterprise Tourism & Cultural Development department.

“This conservation plan will set out the works required for further conservation and opening to potential uses in future years,” Power wrote.

At the meeting, councillors threw out various ideas for the mill’s future – suggesting the historic site could become a museum, a space for older folks, or a heritage site.