Confirmation and Re-affirmation of Minutes

Minutes of the Lucan/Clondalkin Area Committee Meeting 3rd December 2008

• H-I 1

To ask the Manager if he can provide members with information on any lands/properties in the Lucan-Clondalkin Electoral Areas, which the Council has completed disposal of in 2008 (apart from small disposals to individual householders), and if he can advise of the monies realised from such disposals?

• Q 1

New Works

No Business

Correspondence

No Business

Cathaoirleach's Business

No Business

That an update on the situation at 1a St Patrick's Road be brought to this Committee.

• M 2

That this Committee recommends that South Dublin County Council lease for a nominal rent the Senior Citizen facility on Orchard Lane, Clondalkin, to a number of named Senior Citizen Groups.

• M 3

To ask the Manager for a report on the workings of the Estate Management system in this County and to outline the issues/difficulties that have emerged due to:

1. Lack of clarity as to the demarcation between the Local Authority and the Private Companies
2. Role, or lack of same, of Local Authority in monitoring these companies
3. Who is responsible for the monitoring of these companies
4. What role if any the Local Authority has in relation to these companies
5. What role if any Councillors have in relation to these companies and how this relates to the concept of representational democracy?

• Q 2

To ask the Manager for a report on the consultative phase of the review of the County Development Plan and to include in the report a summary of the numbers attending and issues raised?

• Q. 3

To ask the Manager if there has been any request from the Department of Education and Science to purchase a piece of Council owned land for the purpose of providing a site for the proposed Lucan South 2nd Level School. following the site meeting in December 2008 between Department and Council officials, and if he will make a statement on the matter? 

• Q 4

To ask the Manager if there have been any recent pre-planning meetings with the owners of the lands covered by the Liffey Valley Local Area Plan, if any planning applications are imminent,and if he will make a statement on the matter?

• Q 5

New Works

No Business

Planning Files

A. Large applications under consideration

B. Files requested by members

• H-I 4 (a) Large Applications
• H-I 4 (b) Files Requested

Grants for Conservation of Protected Structures

• H-I 5

Correspondence

No Business

Cathaoirleach's Business.

That the Manager would provide an up-to-date report for discussion on the Council's efforts to have the Liffey Valley lands, including at St. Edmundsbury, Woodville and Fonthill, preserved against housing development. Following the passing of my Motions, including at the June 2008 Planning Department Meeting: "That this Committee requests the Manager to write to the Minister for the Environment and Local Government requesting the Minister to make a Ministerial Order, under Section 202 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, to make further Special Amenity Area Order(s) to preserve the Liffey Valley Lands in South Dublin, including at St. Edmundsbury and Woodville, particularly in view of the unanimous decision of South Dublin County Council expressed in the Motion passed in South Dublin County Council on 10^th March 2008, including “it is wholly undesirable that any future housing developments take place in the Liffey Valley, including at St. Edmundsbury and Woodville, that would undoubtedly further damage the Liffey Valley Park as did, for example, the earlier housing developments at Laraghcon”, in the interest of the preservation of these lands, and that this Committee also requests the Manager to specifically emphasise in this letter to the Minister the urgency of this request and specify in the request that this Ministerial Order for further Special Amenity Area Order(s) to preserve the Liffey Valley Lands, including at St. Edmundsbury and Woodville, is made prior to the commencement of the Review of the next County Development Plan, scheduled to commence in November 2008", this Council has since been requested by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government by correspondents dated 10th September 2008, to carry out an evaluation of the lands between Palmerstown and Lucan Bridge in order to access the suitability of these lands for designation under the Special Amenity Area Order - would the Manager report on progress on this matter given the urgency as outlined in my repeated representations? This Committee requests the Manager to contact the Minister requesting that he exercise his powers and issue the appropriate order as a matter of urgency to preserve the Liffey Valley lands?

• M 4

That this Committee notes a report at the previous Local Area Committee (1) that it is intended to have Foxborough C&D Estate taken in charge in 2009, re-asserts its view that, in the context of the Council not succeeding in having the developer complete the treatment of the boundary walls in accordance with the terms of the Planning permission granted for the estate, the Council itself should allocate the necessary financial resources to have a contractor bring the finish of the walls up to the standard originally envisaged and commit to have the necessary works carried out in 2009, and asks the Manager if he could provide the meeting with an estimate of the costs of the proposed work.

• M 5

This Committee calls on South Dublin County Council to:-

(a)  Express its support for the planning concepts behind Strategic Development Zones (SDZ) as laid out in planning legislation.

(b)  Express its disapproval of An Bord Pleanála for its failure to accept significant input from Local Elected Representatives regarding the Clonburris SDZ concerning the scale and timing of proposed development in that location.

(c)  Calls on the Minister for the Environment to amend Legislation concerning SDZ's to give real power to local authorities to control the timing and scale of SDZ development.

(d)  Agrees to communicate this motion both to the Minister for the Environment and the Secretary of An Bord Pleanála.

• M 6

That this Committee requests the Manager to consider the promotion of a heritage trail in Lucan, following the publication of the Lucan Village Design Statement, which would involve the placing of a series of plaques revealing the histories of properties and sites of importance to the heritage of Lucan.

• M 7

To ask the Manager if he will advise the Lucan Clondalkin Area Committee of the Council's plans to provide community facilities, including community centres and play facilities for children in the Council's housing development at Balgaddy?

• Q. 6

New Works

No Business

Report on Housing Construction Programme

• H-I 7

Report on Implementation of Traveller Accommodation Programme

• H-I 8

Anti-Social Statistic Report

• H-I 9

Part V Policy

• H 10 (a) Introduction
• H 10 (b) Draft Policy Document on Part V
• H 10 (c) Minutes of the Workshop 26/09/2008
• H 10 (d) Presentation re Part V - Irish Home Builders Association
• H 10 (e) Presentation re Part V - Affordable Homes Partnership

Correspondence

Letter issued to Dept of EH&LG regarding affordable housing purchasers

• Corr 3

Cathaoirleach's Business

No Business

That this Committee calls on the Housing Manager to state what the delay is in housing applicants in the Kilcronan infill housing project and when will these units be allocated?

• M 9

That the Manager reports on whether or not it is sustainable, in light of the SDZ designation, to offer Home Choice Loans to first time buyers for new homes.

• M 10

That this Committee calls for the anti-social behaviour unit and it's local management to be immediately re-deployed to the Council's Clondalkin Offices as figures being reported by the Council are seriously out of touch with the reality on the ground. An example of same is the reported figure of 3 cases since January 2008 in the Deansrath area as reported to a Joint Policing Committee by Housing Management.

• M 11

That this Committe requests the Manger to investigate the possibility of the Council entering agreements with the owners of developments in the Lucan-Clondalkin Electoral Areas, where construction work has been paused due to lack of demand in the private housing market, through which the Council could acquire properties for allocation as Social Housing to families on the Council's Housing List, and if he will make a statement on the feasibility of such an initiative?

• M 12

To ask the Manager to put mini obstructions in the way to prevent cars from parking on the grass at the bottom of Oak Way near the Green Park Shops?

• Q. 7

To ask the Manager to report on the road closure due at Dodsboro Road (Tandy's Lane) onto the N4. When is this road closure due to take effect and what additional traffic management measures will be introduced to avoid further traffic congestion in Lucan Village, as did occur on the south side of the N4 as a result of the road closure of the link road at Esker Lane onto the N4?

• Q. 8

To ask the Manager to report on the time-scale for the re-surfacing of that section of the Lucan Road from the junction at Woodies to the Lay-By car park following recent discussions? As reported in previous representations, the road surface on this section of the road has greatly deteriorated over the last number of months.

• Q. 9

To ask the Manager for a report on the street lights that are not functioning on the N4 between the County Boundary and the M50 intersection and to give the reasons why?

• Q. 10

To ask the Manager if the issues I raised in June (that the Council address the run down state of the roadway and footpaths bordering and within Roselawn Estate, Ballydowd) have been included in the 2009 works programme as indicated in the Manager’s report in June?

• Q. 11

To ask the Manager if he will consider implementing a number of measures to improve pedestrian safety in and around Lucan Village including: 

1. provision of a pedestrian crossing on the section of the old Lucan Road, between the entrance to the car park at Lucan Demesne and just east of Ball Alley House
2. widening of at least one of the footpaths along the same stretch of road, and
3. provision of an additional pedestrian crossing in Lucan Village, near La Banca restaurant?

• Q.12

To ask the Manager for an updated report on the proposed NRA consultancy study on the possibility of providing a grade separated junction at the Kennelsfort Road/N4 junction, and if he will make a statement on the matter?

• Q 13

To request the Manger to provide an updated report on the maintenance by the N4 upgrade contractor of the central median on the N4, between the M50 roundabout and the Leixlip N4 Interchange, and also the maintenance of the verges on both sides of the N4, particularly in the vicinity of the overbridge just to the east of the Woodies interchange (outside Mount Andrew Estate), which has been in an unsatisfactory state for some time?

• Q. 14

New Works

No Business

Proposed Declaration of Roads to be Public Roads

No Business

Report on Draft Countywide Speed Limit Review 2009

• H. I. 13
• H. I. 13 Schedule

Report on HGV Usage - Newcastle Road

• H. I. 14

Correspondence

No Business

Cathaoirleach's Business

That the Manager would present a detailed report for discussion on the School Transportation Scheme proposed by this Council's Strategic Policy Committee on Transportation and adopted by South Dublin County Council. Would the Manager not agree that School Transportation is the best way forward in combating the increased traffic congestion on our roads, particularly at school times, the growing car congestion at schools, often in residential estates, owing to the great number of parents who have to resort to driving children and students to school, and the increased demands and stresses on parents at school times? This Committee now requests the Manager to again ask the Government to provide funding for South Dublin's School Transportation Pilot Project, that itself could be a viable pilot project for School Transportation in the greater Dublin region.

• M. 13

The Lucan Clondalkin Area Committee calls on the Manager to exercise the right of this Council to act on behalf of the citizens and restrict access to the laneway between Kennelsfort Road and the Coppice by the erection of a locked gate at either end and that the Council provide each household that has access to the laneway with a key under a licence to be drawn up thus enabling only those who have a legitimate right to be in the laneway access to the laneway and that the Council continue to maintain the laneway as heretofore as the laneway is used as a rat run by motorists, is being used for fly tipping and the option of closing it as a right of way as provided for in the act is not feasible and the residents concerned have already petitioned to have unauthorised traffic excluded and have requested that the Council act on their behalf and have indicated that they would be prepared to contribute to the costs, and that a realistic timescale be set for this work to be completed.   This is but one of a number of such laneways in the Palmerstown Area and can be used as a pilot project for some of the others.  These laneways form an integral part of the residential amenities and were designed to give access to the back gardens of terraced houses. However, these laneways have become the focus of all kinds of anti social activity and a constant source of worry and stress to adjacent residents and as they now stand are not the asset they were intended to be.  After more than 15 years of exploring options it is now time to act on behalf of the long suffering residents.

• M. 14

That this Committee notes that residents of Hillcrest Drive have recently expressed concerns about noise associated with the N4 road works at the rere of their road, including recent noise due to machinery working in the very early hours of the morning, notes the Manager's Report on a Motion at the June 18 Area Committee meeting (Question No. 5, Item No. 15613) including the statement at the end of the second last paragraph of the Report, that "the situation will be kept under review" and asks the Manager to provide an updated report on the matter.

• M 15

This Committee recommends that the unofficial gap from Alpine Heights to the Fonthill Road be regularised with a tight gap which excludes motorbikes.

That this Committee now requests the Manager to agree to an independent noise measure review on the Outer Ring Road at the residential areas in Lucan, as a result of inconsistent, and varying types, shapes and materials used in boundary treatments provided, and in many cases none, as part of the Outer Ring Road up-grading works now completed. Many residents on the Outer Ring Road have incurred increased noise levels which are affecting their quality of life and have made exhaustive efforts to have these issues addressed - to date with no success.

• M. 17

That the Manager presents an updated report on my earlier motion that a survey of road nameplates in the Lucan Clondalkin area take place and in particular why the road nameplate on Kennelsfort Green has not been replaced as this is a matter of serious concern from a health and safety perspective.

• M. 18

That this Committee recommends that South Dublin County Council grits the paths around Clondalkin Village when it is frosty.

• M. 19

That the Manager would report in detail on my earlier proposal to introduce a Heavy Goods Vehicles Restriction at School Times on the Newcastle Road between the Bridge at Adamstown and the Newcastle Road/N4 Junction. This matter has been the subject of discussion at Area Committee Meeting, Traffic Correspondence Meeting, Special Traffic Management Meeting and full County Council Meeting. It is also a local objective of all schools in the Newcastle Road area, the local residential community and St. Patrick's Parish, Esker. That this Committee now requests the Manager to introduce this proposed Heavy Goods Vehicles Restriction on the Newcastle Road at School Times on a Pilot Project Basis.

• M. 20