COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF LUCAN/PALMERSTOWN/FONTHILL AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

QUESTION NO. 8

QUESTION: Councillor E. O'Brien

To ask the Manager to report if utility boxes have been identified for painting/artwork under the street art scheme for the coming 12 months.

REPLY:

The South Dublin Canvas project was an action within the 2019 SDCC Litter Management Action Plan, which aimed to eliminating/minimising visual litter as the issue of graffiti (visual litter) remains high on the agenda. The 2020 - 2024 Litter Management Plan has recently gone through a Public Consultation and it is anticipated that a Draft PLan will be presented to the Members at the March Council Meeting, a proposal to continue the Dublin Canvas project will be included.

The South Dublin Canvas project uses traffic light control boxes to exhibit high quality, creative artwork to the public. Traffic light control boxes make perfect canvases to showcase community art as they are always naturally located in high footfall – high traffic areas. The artwork can be enjoyed by pedestrians, cyclist and motorists as they wait for the traffic light to turn green.

As agreed at the February 2019 EWCC SPC, the project will continue in its current format : Cross-county traffic signal boxes (locations agreed in collaboration with LUPT), Project Coordinator call for submissions and an SPC steering group (established in 2018) assessment of submissions comprising Chair of the Environment SPC, the Council’s Arts Officer, and Conservation Officer,  the Senior Executive Officer from EWCC, the Environmental Awareness Officer and the Project Coordinator of the Dublin Canvas project- all of whom have background in conservation and environmental matters, media production / public relations, the Arts, and similar projects.

The Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) in place between South Dublin County Council and the Utility Companies set out procedures to be applied to the reporting of litter and graffiti incidents by SDCC to the relevant utility in respect of their premises and structures. The MoUs are shortly due for review; as part of this process, each utility can be provided with information in relation to the Dublin Canvas Project and encouraged to engage and co-ordinate with the project in respect of their premises and structures.