Residents across Dublin reacted with shock and anger yesterday after a plan to seize their front gardens and parking spaces to make way for wider bus lanes was announced.

The National Transport Authority released details of the controversial blueprint that could take property from 1,300 families and lead to the felling of trees on the routes that are decades old.

Yesterday hordes of residents across the capital vowed to stand up to the NTA and do all in their power to block the plans.

George Lamon, who lives on Walkinstown Road, south Dublin, said he would do whatever it took to stop the takeover of his garden.

‘They’re not going to take away my garden – that’s just it,’ he told Extra.ie.

Margaret and Paul Hanley said they will ‘completely object’ to any plans to intrude on their home, also on Walkinstown Road, as they have spent 20 years encouraging birds and wildlife to thrive in their garden, they said.

Having only learned of the proposed plan through the media yesterday, they were horrified that their garden could be partially destroyed.

‘We love the garden. We do everything to encourage the birds in it so we wouldn’t like to have our garden taken away,’ Mrs Hanley said. ‘We would be very much into nature and gardens are essential now – we need more green spaces.’ They said locals will launch a legal challenge. ‘A lot of people in the area will get together and fight them in court,’ Mr Hanley warned.

The land is likely to be seized from homeowners using Compulsory Purchase Orders but the NTA said it would pay a ‘reasonable price’ for what it takes which could run into the ‘tens of thousands’.

Residents living along the roads likely to be targeted for land seizures yesterday reacted with alarm to the plan – with many saying no amount of compensation would make up for losing their homes.

Aaron Trant told Extra.ie that the tens of thousands of euro being offered as compensation won’t make up for the amount of money that will be knocked off the value of his family’s home on Rathfarnham Road in south Dublin.

‘Tens of thousands won’t cover it. You tell the people up there with their multimillion-euro houses that tens of thousands will cover the loss of their front garden – not a chance,’ he fumed. ‘It’s not a money thing, it really isn’t a money thing, but I do think they’re in for a considerable challenge.’

Mr Trant, who has been living in his home for a decade, also expressed his frustration over the fact that residents were not consulted with during the drafting process of the plan.

‘Turning a residential village into a motorway doesn’t make sense to anybody,’ he said.

Joe Kelly, who has been living on Walkinstown Road for more than 50 years, said that the NTA could have avoided the huge public backlash if it had asked residents for their views on the plan.

‘It is frustrating that they think in this day and age they can go to that level before they consult the people,’ he said, adding that the lack of communication between the NTA and homeowners was creating conflict.

‘If they had come at the beginning and asked one to one, maybe they would have got people over.’ Echoing other residents’ fury, Mr Kelly said the compensation being offered for the compulsory sale would not cover the disadvantage of losing part of their gardens.

He said that during his time living in the area, he has already seen Walkinstown Road widened numerous times. ‘The Walkinstown Road has widened out over the last 30 years twice already, pathways have been extended, and roads have been adjusted,’ he said.

Pensioners Mary and Danny Toye were also outraged by the shock proposals yesterday. They have been retired for a number of years and have been living in their home on St Mobhi Road in Glasnevin, north Dublin, since 1974. Together they tend to the garden and enjoy keeping it looking its best.

Mrs Toye said that she first became aware of the plans that may affect their property after a neighbour texted her, expressing her own concerns. ‘You don’t like change at our age,’ she said.

Prominent Fine Gael TD Noel Rock, who represents the Dublin Northwest constituency, hit out at the lack of public consultation before residents learned about the proposals in the media. ‘You can’t have a State agency like the NTA announcing a plan, announcing the intention to seize part of 1,300 family homes and then failing to inform those affected,’ he said.

‘On accountability and communication, it increasingly looks like the NTA is the new HSE.’ In March, local residents and members of Na Fianna GAA club alike were alarmed by plans to divert the proposed Metrolink train route through their grounds on St Mobhi Road – resulting in significant disruption to local schools and their sports fields.

Following local and public and political support, the NTA said that other options would be looked at to avoid the level of disruption.

The NTA yesterday launched its proposal for 16 updated highspeed bus routes across the city in a bid to improve efficiency, sustainability and cycling conditions. It has said it would offer residents compensation for the loss of garden space and added that it would make other parking facilities available where possible. It would also replant trees to replace those felled along the route.

The plans which are due to be completed by 2027 would improve bus routes into the city from the Clongriffin, Liffey Valley and Greenhills area, according to the NTA. A spokesman for the authority said that 1,300 homes is an estimate and the properties that will be affected have not been identified yet.

‘It is still in the design phase, the actual individual properties have yet to be fully identified. Once they are known, [the NTA will be] getting in touch with the individual properties owners in advance of the public consultation,’ said the spokesperson.