With over 30 items collated this month, I've had to separate my update into two parts. Part 2 came out on the 25th of March. NB - There are updates to a number of stories here, amending the written text originally published on 11th March last, with the last update on 30th March.
Entrances to Elmwood, Moy Glas, Griffeen Glen Drive and Bottle Bank
Residents on local FB groups will know I've chased up these entrances multiple times from a visibility perspective for drivers and also from a safety perspective for cyclists and pedestrians. The principle is good but the works were not fit for purposes and SDDC confirmed that an independent audit would be carried out. They intend to do a number of tweaks on foot of this but I'm concerned that we have not seen this report and so don't know what is going to be done versus what is recommended to be done.
These are works that have been/will be carried out:
Concrete overrun areas to all junctions
Complete centre lining between footpath and cyclepath
Line marking to be installed through Bottle bank entrance
Repair/replace existing cycle crossing points on other side of the road to Moy Glas drive and Elm Wood.
Verge reseeding
While SDCC says the entrance works were based on best practice in roads guidelines, clearly there were issues. The bottle bank remains a message and new markings will not take away from the fact that vehicles have to reverse out which is a safety issue for pedestrians and cyclists. I've posted before that we got agreement in 2021 to move the bottle banks to the swimming pool car park - something SDCC subsequently denied but something a survey of residents shows a majority still want relocated - but any chance Cllr Liona O'Toole and I had of pushing the Council on this were scuppered by other Councillors present at our meeting on the issue in November as they were happy to take a "wait and see" approach.
I await confirmation as to whether SDCC will allow me to view this report. Update 25th March:
SDCC is still not making the report available. This was its response:
"I refer to representation received on 22/02/2024 in relation to Road Safety. Unfortunately, it is not possible to provide a copy of the Road Safety Audit for Griffeen Road at the current moment as it is still a live document that requires inputs from both SDCC and the auditor as to the actions that are proposed as a result of the audit."
---
Wall breach at Italian Embassy (opposite Maxol garage/McDonalds) - See updates also below
I'm concerned that the protective barrier wasn't fixed up after I raised it in early February. I've highlighted again as, although we are told there's news due on this wall shortly, nothing has been done to secure the area. More background here in this rolling update: https://www.paulgogarty.com/post/embassy-wall-october22
Update 18th March:
They've repaired the fencing
Update 21st March:
SDCC agrees to repair and tender to issue shortly
"Dear Lucan Councillors
"Just want to give you an update on the wall repair at the Italian Embassy.
"As SDCC and the Embassy have a sale of the property agreed in principle the repair of the wall has passed back to SDCC. Tender docs were issued at the end of February and the closing date for the submission of tenders is early April.
"Once we have done a tender assessment and appointed a contractor we will get a better timeline for the works and keep you informed."
---
Lucan Community College Extension Delay
I've met with the Parents Association along with other elected reps to try and keep the pressure up as the works should have commenced by now. As a Councillor I've written directly to the Minister for Education, put my name to a shared motion of Councillors at Area Committee and will support in any way I can. I've made a few suggestions as to the types of targeted questions that TDs should be making for PQs and Topical Debates, but I I will leave that angle up to them. In the meantime people can support the campaign by filling in the attached petition: https://www.change.org/p/call-to-action-from-lucan-community-college-parents-to-minister-norma-foley
---
Other schools issues
I continue to highlight the need to progress the 32-classroom primary school off Tandy's Lane in Adamstown, but the Department appears to be so far ignoring the pleas of parents facing difficulties.
Good to see at least the progress on the 16-classroom primary school building in Clonburris SDZ beside Griffeen CC temporary schools (no news on permanent construction commencement yet) and Kishoge CC. No indication on an opening date yet, but the rapid build will be used to house students from a number of Lucan schools when their extension works are underway. This will have related traffic issues and I have flagged the need to prepare and put in alleviation measures with SDCC.
I continue to call for a voluntary common enrolment system, starting with DDETB schools. So far there's been little enthusiasm but this would at least give certainty to parents earlier. More explanation of what this entails and schools issues generally at this website link: https://www.paulgogarty.com/post/lucan-schools-info
---
Ballyowen Castle Planning Application
If the developers want to increase capacity at the centre then they need to take on board existing concerns about lighting and lining and road surfaces. This was highlighted in my submission and the Council has now requested additional information. The Roads Department wants conditions on the above so we will see what happens. More info on my website update here: https://www.paulgogarty.com/post/ballyowen-castle-shopping-centre-planning-application-sd24a-0004
---
Pipework leak alongside steps from Scoil Mhuire to St Mary's BNS
This was brought to my attention last week and Irish Water were out within 24 hours. This was a fast response as the backup was causing problems for residents in Chapel View at the top of the hill.
---
Shrubbery cut back and pathways cleared in area between Finnstown Cloisters and Finnstown Priory
Residents had been chasing SDCC up for some time and as nothing had been done with the moratorium approaching, they asked Councillors to raise the issue on their behalf also. With a couple of days to go the Council cleared the affected areas. While I was happy to assist there was continued strong raising of the issue by a number of residents in Finnstown Cloisters and Finnstown Priory, so their collective efforts need to be recognised. It's proving extremely difficult to get a timely response from the Council in relation to the blocking of walkways by overgrowth and it's a matter of huge frustration by myself and many others. I want to see hedgerows and wildlife protected, but where buggies and bikes and wheelchairs are being blocked by growth it needs to dealt with faster, even during the March-September period.
---
Relining of road markings at Abbeywood entrance and elsewhere on Castle Road completed
Following road resurfacing, residents had contacted me about increasing difficulty exiting this estate and others along Castle Road from the shopping centre towards the roundabout because lines and yellow boxes needed to be repainted. SDCC contractors came out and did this work quite quickly. Update 25th March: Internal parts of Colthurst were also relined, but nothing was done in Rochfort. I've since asked if contractors are out in the general area to also repaint the linings inside this estate. Update 30th March - SDCC reverted with standard response saying the area has been referred to the Area Engineer to assess works.
---
Newcastle Road lining and lights signalling between Castle View estate and Castlegate Adamstown entrance
This is another one I've raised and only partial repainting had happened last I checked. Residents of Castle View are still waiting for their yellow box which has been approved by SDCC but was waiting sanctioning from An Garda Síochána.
On a related note I had requested an update on tweaking of the traffic lights sequencing along this stretch. Ones in Adamstown are being looked at but this area needed improving also. To be clear, the congestion along the road is a result of traffic volume and one change in one part can have a knock on effect elsewhere leading to no overall change. But this stretch appears to have had a localised problem. My video refers to the need for the works as it was taken last week, but the Council confirms that the works have now taken place. "The loops were damaged after the recent road resurfacing and they were repaired on the 4th of March, it is now running at its highest capacity". Please keep me posted on this.
---
Bus stop at Colthurst needs widening
No matter where the bus stops at this location, either a person getting on or getting off will have to walk through muck during and after rainfall, so the concreted area needs to be extended. I asked SDCC whether it would be possible to extend the concreted area without damaging the adjacent tree and they have agreed to examine improvements at this location.
---
Litter and dumping beside two schools and also near Hayden's Park
In January, having noticed that there was no movement on clearing the area adjacent to the entrance to Griffeen Community College and Kishoge Community College, as well as another black spot at Griffeen Valley Park off Hayden's Lane, I tabled a motion asking for a response from SDCC. I did not mention the schools in this motion wording as I did not want to associate them with something beyond their control.
With nothing happening I felt the need to table a further motion and this time I felt the need to mention the area and called on the Council to apologise to the parents, students and staff of the schools as well as residents of estates living near the Griffeen Park dumping.
The Griffeen Area had thankfully been cleared a few days before the motion was moved at the Area Committee meeting, but the mess outside the schools remained. Some Councillors took umbrage at my request to get the Council to apologise, but I was coming from the perspective of poor customer service as one parent had been raising the issue since September with no action. I ultimately accepted that the motion would be "noted" rather than passed but I was happy enough as SDCC confirmed the area outside the schools would be cleared within the week. It was and the challenge now is to ensure it stays clear and meaningful efforts are made to catch the culprits.
---
Earlsfort Road Litter Cleared
I had highlighted this a while back and the dumped material was cleaned up. Please keep me posted.
ENDS