COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF LUCAN/PALMERSTOWN/NORTH CLONDALKIN AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, January 26, 2021

MOTION NO. 33

MOTION: Councillor G. O'Connell, Councillor M. Johansson, Councillor Alan Hayes, Councillor Shane Moynihan

This committee recognises that the community of Balgaddy feels hugely neglected and calls on the Chief Executive to make urgent efforts to prioritise and implement a better standard of living as identified by the Balgaddy Residents Association, for all in this area, and to request the Director of Housing to meet councillors for the Palmerstown-Fonthill LEA before the next ACM to outline progress on this. Residents have a right to feel safer, live in more habitable accommodation and we acknowledge their requests to have the following items prioritised for urgent implementation by this Council, as raised in other motions by Palmerstown-Fonthill councillors. Public Lighting on path at playground; Painting of outside of houses/apartments; New doors, locks on doors in communal areas/entrances; Safe secure protective doors on gas meters; Pedestrian/footpath exit from Balgaddy to Thomas Omar road for children attending Kishogue College.

REPORT:

Balgaddy estate has been prioritised for a number of initiatives including planned maintenance and estate management enhancement works.  There is a dedicated budget for the area for these works and prior to the latest COVID 19 restrictions, progress has been made by our estate management and housing maintenance/refurbishment teams including:

We are very conscious of the delays in commencing and/or progressing other planned measures for the area but there is an ongoing commitment to address the various issues in the area including through the following:

Building Community Resilience Pilot Project: This project, supported by the Housing SPC and the Joint Policing Committee (JPC), will involve an innovative partnership model between the Community, An Garda Síochaná, Local Authority and other relevant statutory agencies to respond to criminal and anti-social behaviour and an update on its work will be provided to local Members and the JPC as it progresses.

Additional Public Lighting:  Following consultations with Gardaí, the estate management team have recommended to our public realm and public lighting sections that additional public lighting columns be installed on the pathways on the public park connecting Meile an Rí and Tor an Rí.  This will support enhanced passive surveillance by pedestrians and cyclists using the pathways while also greatly improving visibility for CCTV in the area.  Estate management funding will be provided towards these works to be added to the 2021 public lighting programme.

Planned Maintenance Programme: Priority for certain properties in Balgaddy will be part of the planned maintenance windows/doors programme replacement as necessary once the programme commences.  Contractors have been appointed to this programme and will commence work once current restrictions allow.

Painting Programme: Works including painting of external façade, internal communal areas and windows and doors of communal buildings have been delayed due to COVID restrictions but will commence as soon as easing of restrictions and weather conditions allow.

Replacement of Utility Metre Doors and Frames: Following inspection of utility metre doors/frames in communal areas and individual homes that have been vandalised/damaged, a programme for the replacement of 197 such units has been identified with works already carried out in Foxdene Avenue and Meile an Rí Green and a tender being prepared for the remainder of the works.

Replacement/Repair of Communal Area Doors: Following the installation of a new protype communal area door, a number of additional doors in both Foxdene and Balgaddy have been identified for priority replacement with quotations being sought for this work. In addition, 10 vandalised communal area door locks were recently replaced.

Permeability Route Balgaddy to Thomas Omar Road:  The Council has again included this scheme on the provisional list of schemes for funding by the NTA in 2021 and a decision is awaited.  Introducing permeability at this location will require substantial works including installing long ramps and a staircase to achieve universal accessibility due to difference in levels between Thomas Omar Way and the estate.

New Housing and Community Centre:  We are preparing to go to tender in Quarter 2 of this year for the construction of the approved 69 new homes and new community facility for Balgaddy.  The development of the community centre will be preceded by local consultation and engagement to meet community needs in the area.

 

A meeting will be convened with the local Elected Members to discuss these matters in more detail prior to the next area committee meeting.