COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

south dublin county council crest

MEETING OF TALLAGHT AREA COMMITTEE (1)

Monday, April 18, 2011

MOTION NO.6

MOTION: Councillor M. Corr

That the Manager provides a status report to this Committee on the matter of unmaintained and unsupervised open space to the rear and side of houses in Kilmartin Estate in Fettercairn.

REPORT:

A project to deal with the open spaces between Kilmartin Estate and the Outer Ring Road was included in the list of potentially suitable projects which might be undertaken as part of the Public Realm Initiative.

The Public Realm initiative was established as part of the Budget 2010 process.  It was agreed that this would track income and as such the final amount in 2010 was €300,000 with an additional €300,000 being allocated in the 2011 budget.  This fund was not to form part of the routine maintenance of an area but rather it would transform an area by eliminating the need to maintain it into the future e.g. that it would not be necessary to continually send in crews to remove dumping, graffiti, cut grass, etc.

In August 2010 a process was initiated with the Members to identify sites where this one-off spend would completely eradicate a problem. Each site was reviewed and in some cases the problem had been resolved, funding was available elsewhere to tackle it or in others it was a matter of routine maintenance and did not fulfill the criteria of the Public Realm Fund.  In particular this covered areas where littering was an on-going issue.

The lands at the rear of Kilmartin are considered suitable for a one off spend and this project will be included with others in respect of which a small internal Task Force will be established to explore and develop creative solutions to problem sites and when such solutions are established, they will be costed and prioritised as appropriate.

In the meantime arrangements have been made to plant 170 thorny shrubs abutting the palisade fencing at a number of locations at the rear of Kilmartin which it is hoped will deter intruders from encroaching on the area when they become established.