COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF RATHFARNHAM AREA COMMITTEE
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
QUESTION NO. 6
QUESTION: Councillor E. Coburn
"To ask the Manager for an update regarding the opening hours of the gates at Rathfarnham Park and the use of timer gates to access the park"
REPLY:
In relation to the automation of the opening and closing of the entrances to Rathfarnham Castle Park, a report on this proposal was presented to the Elected Members of the Rathfarnham Area Committee on the 14th December 2010. Notices to this effect were displayed at the entrances to the park at the beginning of April 2011 and submissions were accepted until the 27th April 2011. A public meeting was held on Thursday evening 23rd June 2011 in Rathfarnham Depot to discuss the issues raised and to clarify the proposals regarding the proposed night-time closure of the gates to the Park.
Following this public meeting and further correspondence with both the Rathfarnham Castle Residents Association and the Rathfarnham Wood Residents Association, it was agreed to proceed with the proposed works. It was also agreed that the opening times for the gates would be 7am each morning and the closing times would be as per the Council's Park Closing hours, as set out below:
| November, December & January | 5.00pm |
| February & March | 6.00pm |
| April & October | 7.00pm |
| May & September | 8.00pm |
| June, July & August | 9.00pm |
The automated opening and closing of all gates has proceeded on a phased basis as construction works and revisions to the entrances were required at a number of the entrances to facilitate the operation of the new gates. As each gate was completed, it was brought into service with works on the the last two gates being completed over the summer months. The fully automated operation of all pedestrian gates into Rathfarnham Castle Park commenced, as per the times set out above, on Friday 10th August 2012. There have been a few teething problems with some of the gates, which the Council has been working to resolve with the electrical contractor, but for the most part, the gates are operating satisfactorily.
The pedestrian entrances from Castleside Drive and The Woodlands, which were completed first, were fitted with a photocell system i.e. opening and closing is determined by the amount of light available. This was the simplest arrangement to install which achieved the opening and closing times set out above, give or take a few minutes. However, based on operational experience, the desire to precisely control opening and closing times and reliability, it was decided to fit the remaining gates at Rathfarnham Wood and the Yellow House with a clock timer system. The two entrances on the photocell system will shortly be transferred onto the timer system and all entrances will then open and close on timers, as per the times set out above.