Cllr. NEALE RICHMOND
Cllr. NEALE
RICHMOND
Newsletter
WINTER 2013
Contact Neale: 23 Kingston Heights, Ballinteer, Dublin 16 Web: www.nealerichmond.ie Email: neale.richmond@gmail.com Facebook: Cllr. Neale Richmond - Glencullen/Sandyford Twitter: @nealerichmond Neale with teachers & pupils at a recent open day for Rosemont School, Sandyford.
Community Grants €94,906 has been awarded in Community Grants to Community Groups and Clubs by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council. The Community Grants Scheme seeks to assist groups in addressing local issues by offering financial assistance from a limited fund. Grants are available to a diverse range of community groups to promote community-based initiatives, which seek to promote the principles of Community Development. Local groups such as the Glencullen Men’s Shed, Glencullen Youth Club, the Glencullen Community Environmental Group, the Glencullen Ladies Social Club and the Stepaside Ladies Social Club have all received start up Grants. Angels Boxing Club in Sandyford has received funding towards the purchase of equipment while the Glencullen Musical & Dramatic Society, the Dublin County Choir who rehearse in Sandyford and the Sandyford Little Theatre all received Grants to support their productions. These Grants will be of great benefit to the community and I would be delighted to assist any other groups in preparing applications for next year’s scheme.
Your local Fine Gael team Cllr Neale Richmond, Cllr Tom Joyce, Olivia Mitchell TD, Minister Alan Shatter TD and Gay Mitchell MEP
€4,265,000 in funding for DLR roads Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council is to receive e4,265,000 in funding for smarter travel projects being pursued by the Dublin local authorities in 2013. This funding is being provided by the National Transport Authority and it will be a huge boost for our County area in terms of improving transport links. Funding has been secured for a much needed pedestrian crossing at the entrance to Sandyford Hall. This crossing will be a huge benefit for the many people from the area who walk to the LUAS. The funding includes provision for a range of projects, notably cycle track options for Leopardstown, UCD and along the N11. Funding has also been secured for a feasibility scheme to see if Dun Laoghaire Rathdown and South Dublin County Councils could develop a bike hire scheme similar to the successful scheme run by Dublin City Council. Blackglen Road and Hillcrest Road included for funding albeit for small scale improvements, hopefully this will be a precursor to eventual funding being approved for the much needed full road improvement scheme. The biggest project in terms of funding will be the reconstruction of Braemor Road, between Terenure Road and Nutgrove Avenue, to provide new cycle tracks, upgraded footpaths and carriageway reconstruction on this e1.5 million project will begin this year.
Marlay Park works The following works were carried out in Marlay Park in 2012
• The all-weather football pitch commenced construction in late 2012 and is now completed
• Conservatory and toilet extension together with an outdoor eating area have been added to Bolands Café.
• New gates were installed at the entrance at Smith’s Lodge and the main car-park on Grange Road.
• The building at the tennis courts has been converted to temporary changing rooms for football clubs.
• P hase 1 of the Marlay Craft Courtyard was completed. • The following projects are planned for delivery on site in 2013 • Grange Road overflow car park surface and drainage scheduled for early 2013
• Golf Pavilion is due to commence on site in the coming weeks
NEW BUS SHELTER FOR KILTERNAN The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has agreed to fund the construction of a new bus shelter in Kilternan. The shelter will be located on the Enniskerry Road outside Glebe House nursing home.
Mobile: 086 781 4514
Neale pictured at the new all-weather football pitch in Marlay Park.
Neale pictured with the Heineken and Amlin Cups. Dublin Chamber of Commerce have estimated a direct economic dividend to the Dublin region of €21 million based on the overseas visitors alone for the Heineken and Amlin cup finals with about 25,000 foreign visitors. Fine Gael are committed to bringing the Rugby World Cup to Ireland in 2023.
• The Part 8 has commenced for the completion of the Renovation of the Craft Courtyard and it is hoped to have this work on site later this year.
• It is proposed to construct a Trim Trail/Outdoor Gym in Marlay during the year The Marlay Masterplan is currently under review, particularly the active area in and around the College Road side of the park to increase the sporting opportunities available to the public and the review will be presented to the area Councillors in the coming months.
Cllr. NEALE
Newsletter
RICHMOND
WINTER 2013
Energy upgrade works
Update on Taking in Charge of any Outstanding Estates Within the Glencullen/ Sandyford Ward
76 Council owned houses in Ballyogan will benefit from upgrade works in the coming months. Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council’s Housing Department has been working closely with the Sustainable Energy Association of Ireland and the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government in an effort to maximise funding for energy upgrade works. 58 homes in Ballyogan will be receiving energy upgrade works in the very near future. The works involved will mainly be cavity and attic insulation together with draught proofing and additional ventilation as required.
The developments which are under consideration for Taking in Charge are • Cruagh Manor, Stepaside
Free weekly Marlay Parkrun
Neale pictured at the site of the new Golf Pavilion in Marlay Park..
• Cairnfort, Stepaside • Aiken’s Village, Clon Brugh, Sandyford
Since March, a weekly free, timed, 5k race has been held in Marlay Park ever Saturday morning at 9.30am. The free 5k races were brought to the Republic of Ireland for the first time in November when Malahide Castle staged its debut event.
• Aiken’s Village, Cluain Shee, Sandyford • Stepaside Park, Stepaside • Kilgobbin Wood, Ballyogan
Supported by the Council, the race attracts an average of 300 runners and walkers to the park every Saturday morning. The weekly Farmers Market continues every weekend while recent months have also seen a small petting zoo added which is proving to be a real hit with young and old alike.
Stepaside Garda Station Despite a committed and well run campaign of opposition from local residents and community activists, Stepaside Garda station closed its doors in March. I must particularly pay credit to those political opponents of myself and Fine Gael who engaged in a positive and constructive campaign. I was extremely disappointed in the decision taken but I am committed to making sure that the old station is reopened quickly for community use and that if possible the aerials be removed, when initially installed the aerials did not require planning permission so whether to remove them or not is down to the whim of the Council’s planners. Weekly clinics are now being held by the Gardai in Glencullen Library and Sandyford Community Centre. Five new Community Gardai for the area have been appointed while those Gardai previously stationed in Stepaside have been reassigned to Dundrum and Blackrock.
• Cruagh Wood, Stepaside
The updated situation in relation to these developments is as follows;
The Fine Gael Group on Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council pictured after the 2013 AGM of the Council.”
Dundrum Area Committee In September, Neale was elected as Chair of the Dundrum Area Committee. The Dundrum Area Committee deals with all local issues relevant to three Council Wards on the Western side of the County: Dundrum, Glencullen-Sandyford and Stillorgan. The Committee meets twice a month and it is where Councillors can resolve the very local, practical issues such as broken footpaths to overgrown trees to traffic congestion, it is also the forum where Councillors can discuss major planning applications with officials.
23 Kingston Heights, Ballinteer, Dublin 16 Mobile: 086 781 4514 Email: neale.richmond@gmail.com Web: www.nealerichmond.ie Facebook: Cllr. Neale Richmond - Glencullen/Sandyford Twitter: @nealerichmond
Cruagh Woods, Cruagh Manor and Cairnfort Payments have been received from the bondholders of all three developments towards the costs of carrying out remedial works to bring the roads and services up to Taking in Charge standards. At present, the Taking in Charge drawings are being completed, and wayleaves are being obtained for locations where services run through private areas. When these matters are complete, the Taking in Charge of these developments will be brought to the Dundrum Area Committee prior to the statutory notice being published. Stepaside Park There still remain works outstanding on this estate. The Taking in Charge process cannot commence until these works have been completed satisfactorily. Building Control have been in contact with the developer in relation to the completion of the works. Aiken’s Village Work has commenced on the taking in charge for Clon Brugh and Cluain Shee Kilgobbin Wood The taking in charge of Kilgobbin Wood has been under consideration for some time. However, a small section of the new Local Distributor Road linking Kilgobbin Wood to Ballyogan Road
Neale addressing a recent Young Fine Gael careers workshop on job opportunities within the EU institutions.
has not been completed due to a dispute between developers of adjacent lands, and this has held up the taking in charge process. The Council has been liaising with the developers to expedite agreement on the completion of the road, and have been advised that their negotiations are at an advanced stage. Once agreement is reached, and the road is completed, the taking in charge of Kilgobbin Wood will commence.
Grass Cutting Arrangements Through 2012, I received representations from a number of residents in College Park, Woodpark, Marley Grange, The Gallops, Pine Valley and Kingston frustrated with poor quality of maintenance of public green areas. The Council sub contracts this maintenance work out and in light of the poor performance, I asked the County Manager to review the problem with the contractor and if necessary cancel the contract and put it back out to tender. While the contractor cited an especially wet summer, the County Manager agreed that the standard of work was simply not up to scratch. Two new contracts for the County, divided on an East/ West basis were put out in January and a new contractor has been appointed. After some initial “teething problems”, the new arrangement seems to have worked well this summer, no doubt helped by the fine weather.