COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF CLONDALKIN, NEWCASTLE, RATHCOOLE, SAGGART AND BRITTAS AREA COMMITTEE

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

MOTION NO. 5

MOTION: Councillor W. Carey

That this Area Committee agrees that SDCC should remove the palisade steel fencing erected on greenspace on Pinewoods and recognises this to be an error against the wishes of residents who have objected to the installation.

REPORT:

South Dublin County Council endeavours to ensure that residents can live harmoniously and provides facilities to enable this.  On occasions small parcels of open space can become problematic for residents who adjoin them.  This can be caused by noise emanating from them, anti-social activity or on occasions from sporting activities such as the playing of football.  The open space in Pinewoods is an example of an area where football activities are causing problems for adjacent residents.

A “Ball Games Prohibited” sign was installed on the open space in the past and while still in situ it has failed to address the issue.  The problem seems to have escalated in recent years and up to recently was concentrated in an area where two trees that were planted in close proximity to each other were used as goal posts.  To address the issue a number of actions were taken. These include the removal of one of the trees that acted as a goal post, the planting of an area with mature plants and the installation of a fence.  These actions were necessary to resolve a situation where footballs were ending up in adjoining gardens and the trees were being used to climb over the boundary wall and onto those private properties to retrieve the footballs.   

The Council acknowledges the request as set out in the motion however there is a need to retain the fence at this location to address the issue of trespass onto private property that has been the subject of complaints from adjoining properties.  The current proposal for the existing fence is to leave it in place but to paint it black to reduce the visual impact of it.  The planting which has taken place behind the fence will mature in time and grow through the fence and will further soften the visual impact of it.