COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF TERENURE-RATHFARNHAM AREA COMMITTEE (2)

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

QUESTION NO 5.

QUESTION: Councillor P. Cosgrave

"To ask the Manager to close the pedestrian entrance at the side of 65 Lansdowne Park to stop antisocial behaviour to leave just one entrance from Knocklyon Road into the open space at Lansdowne Park?"

REPLY:

There is a well-established desire line through the pedestrian entrance in question and also along the pathways leading to the entrance.  This entrance provides a convenient route catering for local residents’ access to and from Landsdown Park, the Knocklyon and Firhouse Roads and local bus stops.

The Parks Department would not be in favour of closing this entrance.  It is the experience of this Department that the closing of entrances to open spaces such as exists at Landsdown Park does not necessarily solve anti-social behaviour and in many cases it actually increases the problem.

Where an entrance to a well established through route is closed off, this often leads to a range of other issues including persons climbing railings to access the route, vandalism, and the use of the area for gatherings and anti-social behaviour because of the lack of passing pedestrian movements.

The Parks Department will liaise with the local Gardai to monitor the area.