COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF TERENURE-RATHFARNHAM AREA COMMITTEE (2)
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
MOTION NO. 8
MOTION: Councillor T. McDermott
"That the meeting discuss the causes of the breakdown in communications between the Council and the Rathfarnham Castle Residents Association with a view to agreeing the steps to be taken to restore confidence and trust between the parties - particularly regarding the measures necessary to ensure that anti-social behaviour at night time at the playground is eliminated."
REPORT:
The Parks Department has been and continues to work to address the issue of anti-social behaviour in Rathfarnham Castle Park and is committed to working with the Rathfarnham Castle Residents Association to ensure that Rathfarnham Castle Park, and its features and facilities including the playground, function as a valued asset within the locality. It is observed that the playground is proving to be a popular and well-used facility by parents and children who use the park.
The most recent meeting between the Rathfarnham Castle Residents Association and the Parks Department took place on February 25th 2009 and a copy of the minutes of this meeting has been circulated by e-mail to the Terenure-Rathfarnham elected members during the past week. Representatives of the OPW and An Garda Síochána were also in attendance at this meeting. The previous meeting between the Parks Department and the Rathfarnham Castle Residents Association took place on September 29th 2008 and there has been a considerable exchange of correspondence and phonecalls in between these meetings. In this context, the Parks Department does not accept that there has been a breakdown in communication between the Rathfarnham Castle Residents Association and the Council. In the interim period the Parks Department continued to make progress with measures to address the issue of anti-social behaviour in Rathfarnham Castle Park and this progress was outlined at the recent meeting on February 25th 2009 as follows:
Mobile Security Patrols
Since June of last year, following the opening of the playground the Council has employed the services of a mobile night-time patrol agency to undertake regular patrols of Rathfarnham Castle Park at night-time, outside of normal park opening hours, at times and on days and during periods identified as potentially vulnerable for anti-social activity. The frequency of the patrols has been alternately intensified and reduced depending on levels of activity recorded. Reports from the patrol agency have indicated occasions where they have encountered youths/teenagers congregating in the playground but when requested these groups have left the park without challenge. Reports also indicate numerous patrol checks when there have been no recorded incidences of anti-social activity in the playground. The Council will continue to employ this service during potentially vulnerable periods.
CCTV Installation
A CCTV system has been installed and is set up to operate in conjunction with night-time lighting to provide illumination for the camera system to operate most efficiently. The lighting was initially triggered by a photo sensor to illuminate the playground area during the hours of darkness but following discussion with the Residents Association, this has since been revised and is now triggered by motion detectors which cause the lighting to come on only in response to detecting activity in the playground area. Some delay was experienced in setting up monitoring of the CCTV system due to unforeseen technical problems but these are now resolved and the CCTV system is now linked to a remote monitoring agency. Motion sensors in the playground activate the cameras and trigger an alarm in the monitoring centre which will cause personnel to view the cameras and take a series of actions - voice over alert to people to leave the area, alert the mobile security patrol service and alert the Gardai if the need arises. The Parks Department has reviewed the specification of the CCTV system and are exploring measures to enhance its functionality subject to identification of the necessary funding.
Night-time closure of access gates to Rathfarnham Castle Park
Arising from discussions during 2008 between the Parks Department and Rathfarnham Castle Residents Association, the Parks Department agreed to a trial closure of the access gates at Castleside Drive and the Woodlands at night time to gauge public response. The move generated considerable opposition from many local residents who use these routes through the park as a ‘short cut’ to and from bus stops, shops, churches and other local amenities at various times during and outside of normal park opening hours. As a result of this opposition, the night-time closure was suspended. In this regard, it became clear to the Council that there are differing views in the locality in relation to access to the park outside of normal park opening hours.
To advance this matter, and arising from discussion at the meeting on February 25th, 2009, the Parks Department and the OPW have confirmed their agreement to the Residents Association with the principle of night-time closure of the gates of Rathfarnham Castle Park to enhance the security and discourage access to the Park outside of normal park opening hours. To advance this matter, the Parks Department have identified that three entrances to the Park under the control of the Council are suitable for locking at the present time – at Woodlands, Castleside Drive and on Rathfarnham Road opposite the Yellow House.
In this regard, the Council has placed notices on these three gates notifying members of the public of the Council’s intention to close these gates at night-time with effect from April 6th. Elected members from the Terenure Rathfarnham electoral area were circulated in advance by e-mail with a copy of this notice. The notices will be displayed for a two week period to include two weekends. The proposed opening times for the gates are from 8am on Monday –Friday when the gates can be opened by staff in attendance at the Parks depot in Rathfarnham Castle Park and from 10.30am on Saturday and Sunday when they will be opened by the Park Ranger service who will travel from Tymon Park to open the gates having completed gate opening duties in Tymon Park at 10am. The gates will be closed by the Park Ranger service, again travelling from Tymon Park and the closing times will vary seasonally as follows:
4.00pm - November, December, January
5.00pm - February, March
6.00pm – April, October
7.00pm – May, September
8.00pm – June, July, August
These closing times are one hour before the closing times for Tymon Park to enable the Park Rangers to travel to Rathfarnham and return to their base at Tymon Park to complete their duties there before park closure. Members of the public have been invited to submit written observations or comments on the proposed closures either by e-mail to cccounter@sdublincoco.ie or by letter addressed to the Senior Parks Superintendent, Parks and Landscape Services, South Dublin County Council, County Hall, Tallaght, Dublin 24. The closing date for submissions is 5pm on Friday, March 20th, 2009.
The matter of closure of the entrance from Rathfarnham Woods will be addressed in the coming weeks in consultation with their Residents Association as an upgrade of the entrance is required to replace the existing anti-cycle gate with a secure and lockable gate.
Park Byelaw Signage
The Parks Department are making arrangements to erect new signs displaying the Park Bye-laws within Rathfarnham Castle Park which will support the Gardaí in their efforts to curb anti-social behaviour in the park.