COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, June 14, 2010
QUESTION NO.7
QUESTION: Councillor J. Hannon
To ask the Manager to report on progress in relation to the improvement of the public realm in the County, and having regard to the commitment to fully engage with and consult Councillors with regard to any such proposals?
REPLY:
The Roads, Housing, Environmental Services and Parks Departments together with the Communities in South Dublin play a significant role in managing and maintaining the public realm.
The Council is continuing to develop new methods and priorities in performing the duties associated with maintaining the public realm and these involve inter-departmental collaborative working arrangements which have been demonstrated already this year in the clean up of the Halloween bonfires and the clearing of ice and snow from the paths and the removal of substantial quantities of litter from areas adjacent to estates throughout the county.
Due to the exceptional response warranted in the foregoing cases, the costs have been funded/part funded from the 20l0 budgetary provision for the public realm.
This combined working arrangement which involves the sharing of Council resources plant and machinery will continue to ensure the most effective and efficient use of the resources available to the Council.
With regard to litter and grass cutting the following is the position:
Litter:
There are at present 47 staff employed fulltime in the Council’s Cleansing Unit attaching to the Environmental Sevices Department of the Council, supported by an Administrative and Technical Team and a Team of 6 Litter Wardens. In 2009 approx. l0,000 tonnes of waste was collected throughout the County from the following sources: road sweeping, gully cleaning, fly tipping, litter bins and major clean-ups.
Grass Cutting:
There are 4500 acres (l650 hectares) of open space and parkland in the charge of the Council. These areas, in the main, comprise approx. 500 acres of pitches, 700 acres of roadside verges and margins (excluding verges fronting residential and commercial properties) with the balance (3300 acres) comprising of regional, neighbourhood, local parks and residential open spaces.
During the grass cutting season the Parks Department have a complement of approximately 75 grass-cutting machines varying in size from the large l6-ft. roller mowers to the smaller ride-on mowers all of which are fully deployed throughout the season. The deployment of the various machines is dependant on the size, configuration and objects, such as trees, poles, signs and railings, on each area of grass to be cut.
80% of the staff of the Parks Department (excluding park rangers and crafts working staff) are deployed fulltime during the season on the cutting of grass and advance litter picking where possible.
The Parks Department are reviewing the grass cutting rota to ensure a standardisation of service is achieved across the County. In the review, priority and increased frequency will be afforded to the cutting of playing pitches.
It will be necessary in the review to take into account the following issues which can impinge on the grass-cutting programme for any season i.e. weather conditions, machinery breakdown, repair and servicing, health & safety, training and insurance, annual leave and leave due to illness and short term redeployment for specific works.
Social Credits
It is intended that the Social Credits Scheme, a draft of which was brought before the Environment SPC in January 20l0, will form part of the public realm function. http://intranet/cmas/documents/Environment%20SPC/2010/January/January2010EnvironmentSPCMeeting/21789_Social%20credits%20consultation%20spc.ppt Work is continuing in the development of the scheme.
It is intended to hold briefings with the Members in June or July 2010 at area level for the purpose of identifying priority areas for attention and inclusion in the review of the 20l0 budgetary provision for the transformation of the public realm.