COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, April 13, 2015

QUESTION NO.17

QUESTION: Councillor W. Lavelle

To ask the Chief Executive to confirm that new litter bins will be installed at all new or refurbished playspaces and playgrounds in the County, including those provided in the past 12 months; and to further confirm that Park Ranger staff will be tasked with intensive monitoring of all newly-opened playspaces with a view to ensuring that anti-social activity does not take root?

REPLY:

The Council provides litter bins in the vicinty of large playgrounds in the existing major parks in the county.

Each location of a new playspace is being examined on a case by case basis, particularily as the playspace programme represents a departure from the traditional model of grouping a range of equipment into a single large playground. In the case of Rathcoole Park, for example, the play equipment is dispersed around the park at a number of different locations, providing a range of opportunity for children's play.  As litter bins have already been provided in the park and it is not proposed to provide additional litter bins adjacent to each play location.

It also needs to be noted that playspaces are not litter generators, i.e. the items that become litter and waste are not available at the playspace, they have to be brought there by visitors. In keeping with best environmental practice, people who bring refreshments and confectionary into open spaces and parks are encouraged under the "polluter pays" principal to take responsibility for the disposal of any waste they generate by bringing it away with them and disposing of it through their own waste disposal arrangements.  The Council acknowledges and assists with this by providing litter bins in the larger Regional Parks. As local and neighbourhood parks, are by their nature located in close proximity to residential communities, typically a five to ten minute walk from home, it is reasonable for visitors to local parks and open spaces to take whatever waste they bring into the space home with them for proper disposal.  

In relation to monitoring playspaces, it is current practice for Park Rangers to visit and monitor playgrounds and other areas, such as skateparks and Multi Use Games Areas, on a daily basis as part of their patrols. As new play spaces are developed and brought into use, the locations are included in the Park Rangers' daily visits. It is the practice for the Park Rangers to increase the frequency and duration of visits to new facilities for a short period after opening while they settle in. Providing this increased presence does mean that for that period, the Park Rangers presence elswhere is temporarily reduced. 

While the Park Rangers can and do deal with anti-social behaviour during working hours, it is the Council's experience that the majority of anti-social behaviour in public parks and open spaces takes place after hours.