SOCIAL
IMPACTS
The residents in the high
rise blocks and towers in Ballymun are confronted with one fact:
they will have to
move to another place to live.
There will be one move
only, and no comeback, forever. Their present homes will be destroyed.
If Ballymun residents don’t
like their new housing unit,
if it doesn’t match the
high expectations generated by BRL,
there will be no come back
for them.
Who on earth would freely
agree to this without some guarantee?
Yet who has it IN WRITING
that they WILL get the house they need and want?
Almost 10,000 people will
be moved forever.
In turn, all bindings,
links and the friendships upon which our community has been built during the
past 33 years will be dislocated. BRL
maps on display show the population movements.
It is questionable how many people will remain in their present neighbourhoods.
Residents of Pearse Tower we spoke to knew nothing about the Gateway Housing Scheme eventhough this scheme will be built on their doorstep!
IS THIS CONSULTATION?
The dislocation will be
psychologically damaging the Ballymun population.
Research shows that second most stressful experience in a persons life is moving home.
The near total demolition
of a town (so far there are no plans to demolish the present houses, just to
turn them around) has to be considered practically, environmentally, socially,
physically and relative to local and individual needs.
Every Ballymun resident will be affected by the new housing built for other residents, and vice versa.
In our view, total
demolition of high rise buildings in Ballymun is, in part, an attempt to set a
precedent:
the compulsory relocation
of thousands of people to
sell the lands and provide
healthy profits to private developers.
Bombs could not achieve
this as effectively. This was
demonstrated in Kosovo and Chechnya recently.
The locals there obviously objected.
But then they knew fully what was happening.
Ironically, BRL is
examining an option with a Dutch Company to implode the flats with explosives.
At the moment, there is a
feeling of being a refugee in our community.
Maybe a new house is a good
swap for being moved, even if we are not compensated like those in the Swan’s
Nest development in Kilbarrack.
But how many Ballymun people genuinely, and without fear of intimidation or of being singled out, have consented fully and freely to being migrated across Ballymun to an uncertain future.
This is supposed to be a
time of communication, social awareness,
environment protection and
social equality.