Dublin needs new bylaws to stop people concreting over their gardens for parking space, according to a leading environmentalist.
The Irish Times reports some Dublin residents are converting their gardens into driveways, resulting in an overall reduction in the amount of green spaces in the city.
It is something Dublin City Council feels this is having a negative impact on the environment and increases the chance the sewage system could be overwhelmed during heavy rainfall.
“In recent years, of course, we’re getting more and more rainfall and particularly the pattern of rainfall distribution has changed,” environmentalist John Gibbons told Newstalk Breakfast.
“In other words, we’re getting torrential rain and this basically requires somewhere for that rain to slowly permeate, rather than flashing off [solid pavements or roads]."
Renting to commuters
Mr Gibbons said one lost garden might not make much of an impact but when thousands of people concrete over a garden, it amounts to a significant decrease in permeable space in a city.
Some people living close to the Dart, Luas or Dublin Airport are even renting their new parking spaces out to commuters or travellers.
He said it found it “strange” the City Council is appealing for people not to do it, rather than simply regulating the practice.
“[They should] bring in a bylaw that says if you are going to put hardcore in your garden that it should be of a permeable type,” he said.
“For example, gravel allows a certain amount of rainwater to permeate.
“I would have thought the solution here was a change in bylaws.”
Public health risk
Mr Gibbons said the issue is also a public health risk, due to the increased chance that the sewer system could malfunction.
“Many of our suburbs operate on what’s called a combined sewage system and that means basically rainwater and sewage are using the same system,” he said.
“So, that means that in the event of torrential rain, you’re likely to get… a real problem with the overflow of sewers.
“That obviously represents a public health challenge as well.”
This July was Ireland’s wettest on record.
Main image: A car parked outside a house.
