COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF LUCAN AREA COMMITTEE
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
MOTION NO. 14
MOTION: Councillor E. Tuffy
Cathaoirleach's Business
That the Manager would present a report for discussion on recent meetings regarding anti-social behaviour in and around parts of Griffeen Valley Park, attended by Park's Department officials and representatives of An Garda Síochána, and any actions or measures taken or to be taken by the Park's Department to address the issues raised by residents.
REPORT:
As far as the Council is aware, the Griffeen Action Group have organised a number of meetings regarding anti-social problems in and around Griffeen Valley Park. The Parks Department was invited, at very short notice, to attend what is believed to have been the third meeting of this group which was held on the 5th May. This is the only meeting that has been attended by officials from the Parks Department.
At that meeting, the issue of access to the park through the Elm Green / Griffeen Glen Park pedestrian entrance was raised for discussion. The pedestrian gate at this location is secured in an open position to facilitate local residents using the park to go to work, local schools and access bus routes prior to offical opening time. The residents at the meeting expressed concerns about the levels of anti-social behaviour that were occurring in the park, including the unauthorised use of horses and quads, and they advised that, as the gate at this entrance is permanently open, it was facilitating the anti-social behaviour.
Following a short discussion, the Senior Parks Superintendent advised that arrangements could be made to open and close the gate in accordance with official park opening times. He did advise that this might inconvenience local residents currently using the park before official opening as it was likely to be around 10.30am each morning before the Park Rangers reached this gate to open it.
Following a number of motions to the Lucan Area Committee Meeting in May 2011, the Members agreed to a proposal by the Parks Department to open and close the entrance in accordance with park opening hours on a trial basis. It was agreed that this would only commence following direct contact with the Griffeen Action Group to ascertain the views of the group and to agree the details of the arrangement.
Following feedback from the Griffeen Action Committee, it was agreed to run a trial opening and closing of the gate, commencing Tuesday 7th June and running for a period of approximately four weeks to 30th June. It was agreed that the gate would be opened at approximately 10.30am each morning and closed at approximately 8.30 pm each evening by the Park Rangers. A notice of the Council's intention to restrict access to Griffeen Valley Park at this entrance was erected at the gate in question and at other entrances to the park on the Bank Holiday weekend of 4-6th June.
The gate was initially locked at park closing time on Monday 6th June. The park was opened and closed in accordance with the times indicated on the notice on Tuesday 7th June. However, when staff arrived to open the gate on Wednesday 8th June, they were unable to do so as glue had been inserted into the keyhole of the lock rendering it inoperable. The opening of the gate on Wednesday morning was therefore delayed until the lock was eventually cut off by Parks Staff.
The gate was opened and closed without incident on Thursday 9th June but a further incident occurred after the gate was locked on Thursday evening when glue was once again inserted into the replacement lock which meant that the gate could not be opened on Friday 10th June until the lock had been cut off. Given this experience and the fact that the locks were vandalised 50% of the time within the first week, it was decided to suspend the trial and the Elected Members and the Griffeen Action Group were duly informed. The gate has been locked in the open position since then pending further discussion of the matter.
Representatives of the Parks Department also met on site with members of the Griffeen Action Committee, prior to the trial commencing, to discuss other measures to restrict access. At that meeting it was agreed to erect a barrier at the entrance in question on the park side of the gate. It is still intended to carry out this work. However, given the experiences with the lock, the Action Committee will be contacted again to discuss modifications to the barrier.