Senator Deirdre De Burca
Wicklow News Published by the Wicklow Greens
Spring 2008 edition
Future Development of Wicklow Wicklow Town is a great county town with a wonderful location on the East Coast and a particularly fine town centre. Part of the unique charm of the town is linked to its historic character and the open space available for walking and other outdoor pursuits. There have always been strong social networks in the town through its many clubs and societies. However the town has been expanding MARKET SQUARE showing historic Town Hall quite rapidly over recent years and will continue to do so over the next decade. Earlier this summer the town council agreed a new local area plan for Wicklow Town which is available on the council’s website (www.wicklow.ie). There is little room left now within the town boundaries for new development and it appears that many of the existing sports areas are therefore being rezoned for development. For example, the football pitches at Whitegates may be moving in the foreseeable future if a suitable offer is made.
Future of Town Centre Unfortunately during the adoption of the Town Plan a majority of the councillors (Pat Byrne, Bob Kearns, Oliver Lalor, Denis Teevan and Fachtna Whittle) voted against the planners’ recommendation to make the Main Street an ‘Architectural Conservation Area’. This designation is used to protect particularly fine streetscapes such as those in Wicklow Town. The frontage of the properties on the main street would have been FITZWILLIAM SQUARE protected in order to retain the historic showing Halpin’s Memorial character of the town. Soon after this decision was made, an application to demolish Phil Healy’s, previously rejected, by the Town Council was re-submitted. It is proposed to construct a four storey modern block on the site of Phil Healys. Indeed there are many ideas to ‘modernise’ the town and a team of consultants have been commissioned to draw up proposals for the public realm in Wicklow. This refers to the urban spaces in the town and how they should be designed. For example this study will look at what should happen around Halpin’s monument. It is planned to consult the public so do look out for advertisements for this process and get involved. Páipear Athchúrsáilte. Printed on unbleached, recycled paper.
A Thank You from Green Party Senator Deirdre de Burca Dear Residents, The General Election is long over. While I didn’t win a Dail seat in County Wicklow, I was very much encouraged by the high level of support I received in Wicklow Town and the surrounding areas. As you may know, I was nominated to the Seanad over the summer where I will continue to represent you to the best of my ability. Thank you to all those who supported me. Thank you also to those of you who may not have voted for me but who were courteous and willing to give your time to discuss issues during my canvassing of the area. If you feel I can be of any assistance to you with any issue, please do contact my constituency office on 01 2745402 or email me at deburcaoffice@yahoo.ie.
Senator Deirdre De Burca Constituency Office: 2 Killarney Villas, Bray, Co. Wicklow Constituency Tel: 2745 402 deburcaoffice@yahoo.ie Seanad Éireann: Leinster House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2 Leinster House: 01 618 3513 Mobile: 086 806 1450 E: deirdre.deburca@oireachtas.ie W: www.deirdredeburca.ie
Wicklow Environs Much of the real growth in house building will be in the environs of the town, mainly on the land between Wicklow Town and Rathnew.
Marlton Road Development An application for a shopping centre and amenities along the Marlton Road is proposed and awaiting a decision from An Bord Pleanála. This will be a big mixed development including a major shopping centre, housing, cinema, arts centre, site for a school and recreational facilities for young people. It has been suggested that this might provide an opportunity for the pedestrianisation of the town’s Main Street.
There is already planning permission for large residential developments on either side of the road to Rathnew. Some are now nearing completion, other are agreed but not yet started such as in Keatingstown. The land in the outlying areas of the town is covered by the upcoming Wicklow Town Environs Plan. This is being reviewed by the County Council and draft proposals are now published (see page 5). We all have until 27th February to make our submissions to the council to say if we are happy with the draft or would like to see changes. There are several proposals to improve the amenities of Rathnew and the inclusion of a transport hub where the roads and railway meet.
Proposed new shopping centre
New Roads and Infrastructure There will not be much more development in Wicklow Town until the Town Relief Road and the new Port Access Route are completed, along with the new Sewerage Treatment plant which will be located further north along the Murrough, beyond the existing industrial development. These projects are starting now and people will find the Murrough car park closed for a couple of years while the work is underway. It will be necessary during this time to park in the car park beside Marine House. The availability of adequate water supplies is also a very big issue for the future development of the town. In fact the introduction to the Plan states that “additional water will not be available to service the needs of the plan until additional sources from wells in Ashford (by 2010) and from the Avonmore River are available (in 5-10 years)” The new Port Access road will cost in the region of €65 million to build and Wicklow Town Council will be expected to make a considerable contribution to all offset the costs. However, with fewer development opportunities in the town, the burden of the expense will fall to the rate payers. Wicklow Town Council may have to consider options such as implementing a toll system at access points so that those who will benefit most from the road will help to offset these costs.
A new bridge over the river 2
Congestion in Wicklow Main Street
Preserving the Murrough
The East Bank of Broadlough
Most people know the Murrough as the coastal strip that stretches from Wicklow Town to Kilcoole. This is one of the most valuable amenity areas in the town and is used by many people for recreational purposes. Much of the industrial development in the town was traditionally located here. A new sewerage treatment plant is also planned for this area, north of the new road and the land currently zoned for industry.
The challenge for Wicklow Town Council and County Council will be how to plan for future development while still protecting the hugely important variety of habitats and amenities on the Murrough. The Broadlough Area is particularly sensitive. The important questions that will have to be decided by Wicklow Town Council and County Council are: • When the Veha factory is replaced by modern development should this development be allowed to encroach closer to the sea and reduce the open space in this area? • How can the coastal walk that is so valued by local people be protected and enhanced into the future? • How can existing rights of way and the special habitats of the Broadlough be protected? • How can the council ensure that the amenity of the Murrough is not damaged by future development linked to the new Port Access Route which will cross the railway line at the northern car park? A recently commissioned RPS report on Coastal Protection also predicts that the erosion of the Murrough will be very intense, at around a metre every year, and that no attempt should be made to prevent it happening north of the Murrough car park, as this will merely push the erosion further north. While we agree that this should be allowed to happen naturally, the question remains, where will people walk when that area becomes eroded over the next 20/30 years? Already the cliff walk from the Black Castle to Wicklow Head is impassable in places and no effort has been made to bridge the gaps as has happened along other coast lines around the country. A group called ‘Friends of the Murrough’ has recently been reactivated and are proposing that the Overlooking the Murrough coastal walk from Kilcoole to Wicklow Head become a regional park and given the designation of a Special Amenity Area Order (SAAO). If you wish to find out more about this group please contact Pat Kavanagh on 086 2099562.
Enough schools in the town? Wicklow Town, like many other fast-growing towns must face the challenge of providing for sufficient school sites and buildings to meet the educational needs of its residents. • The Abbey Vocational School and the De La Salle Boys school are to merge and the planning application for the new school site in Keatingstown has just been granted permission by An Bord Pleanala. The amalgamation is likely to happen around 2010. The main issues are likely to be transportation to and from the school. There will be hundreds of cars driving up Friars Hill so the possibility of running a local School Bus service should be considered. At the moment the road up Friar’s Hill does not even have a complete footpath. • The Wicklow Gaelscoil is currently housed in temporary prefab accommodation in Rathnew. No permanent site for the school has yet been identified by the Dept of Education. • The Educate Together school is located in Marine House on a temporary basis until 2010. No permanent site has yet been agreed for the school. • Also local children should be encouraged to walk more to school. We congratulate the Glebe School parents who have successfully organised a “walking bus” to the school which meets at the Supervalu car park and children then walk up the hill. We would like to see similar initiatives throughout all the local schools in the area.
Green Tip!
Save yourself money and do your bit for the environment by ensuring that all your bulbs are energy saving bulbs. Of the electricity used by normal light bulbs, in most cases only 10% of the energy is converted into light, while the other 90% is turned into heat. The electricity used just to light a building is often as much as 50% of the total energy bill. 3
Other Green Party Objectives for Wicklow Town • Local Town and School Bus service • Make Wicklow a smokeless fuel zone • Work towards making Wicklow a Fair Trade Town • Support the involvement of community groups and schools in the Wicklow Community Garden • Seek to have pockets of waste ground around town tidied up and developed as small parks with benches and a sheltered area. For example if the area opposite the Holy Rosary School adjacent to Weston Close were landscaped it would offer a welcome respite to families walking or pushing buggies up the hill to the Ballyguile housing estates, as well as to parents waiting to collect children from school.
Stone Arch leading to medieval Black Castle
Wicklow Tidy Towns Wicklow Tidy Towns have had an exciting and busy year with many projects brought to completion. The main summer project was the Riverwalk, where rubbish was cleaned, overgrown hedges, paths and painted over graffiti cleared. Two new benches were organised to be placed so that walkers could further enjoy this natural amenity. The old footbridge over the Leitrim River Trees were also planted at the back of the Enterprise Centre, which we in time it is hoped will screen this side of the walk. Part of the path that had fallen into disrepair was cleared and re-laid. Over 20 volunteers got involved, turning up week after week to work. The annual application to the National Tidy Towns Competition saw the town’s points increase from previous years. The work of the Tidy Towns was praised and Wicklow Town was seen as a serious contender for the title in future years. An Anti-Litter competition is being run with the local secondary schools. The winners will be awarded fantastic prizes and a selection of the posters generated will be displayed in local businesses. Another successful year is looked forward to in 2008 and it is hoped that more volunteers will get up and get involved. For further details please contact the Tidy Towns on 086 2293126.
Wicklow Community Garden There is a new “community garden” in Wicklow Town. The garden is temporarily in a corner of a field on the Dominican Organic Farm, accessible through Crinnon Park. It is now fenced, and it is planned to improve the entrance and to make it fully disabled- accessible. A garden facilitator was hired and a pilot was run funded by Pobal. The participants created a central bed as a focal point to begin the garden, and made an overall garden design. There was sufficient funding through Pobal and LEADER to continue to develop this first group .They met on a Wed and Thurs afternoons in the garden between 2.305.30 and were very open to anyone who wanted to drop in and join them and to get involved in any way. The committee have been working to involve a number of other groups locally in the Community Garden, from pre-school, transition students, and the active retired. There are plots, projects, and committee members willing to facilitate any ideas that a group might like to try from gardening to cooking organically and healthily. By next summer we hope to have open days and even get listed in the Wicklow Garden Festival Guide when we have created a garden worth showing off! So do get in touch if you are interested and pass on this information to others. Contact Suzie Cahn on 086 806 9289. The group’s long term ambition is to have a permanent community garden and anyone interested in developing community allotments should also contact the county council. 4
New plans for the expanding town A draft Wicklow Environs Plan for the period 2008-2014 has been published and people, both developers and residents, are invited to tell the Council if there are proposals in the plan that they do not like. The main purpose of the plan is to zone parcels of land for different uses (for example houses, Local stallholders on Market Square businesses, shops and open space and amenities) so that the town grows in a way that creates the best living and working experience for its residents. Much of the zoning was agreed some years ago when the first plan was produced. All the land between Wicklow Town and Rathnew is already zoned. We are beginning to see new development on both sides of the main road, including the first stages of the new roads running behind the town to the Port on one side and behind the new housing estates to the south. But there are some changes that people should be aware of.
New business park at Broomhall
How many houses should we build? The Plan states that it is designed to accommodate 22,500 people but this probably hugely underestimates the potential population of this Plan if all the zoned land is developed. Quite a bit of land has been zoned for commercial development with the objective of encouraging employment for all the people living in the new houses. However, just because the land is zoned for employment does not mean the jobs will come. The Council cannot produce jobs, and outside of Metropolitan Dublin bigger towns than ours are finding it difficult to attract companies who employ the people that want to live here. The most likely use of the newly zoned employment lands are for warehouses. These take advantage of the nearby roads but these businesses do not employ many people at all. We can expect most of the people moving into the new houses to be working outside of the town. But we know that this will worsen carbon emissions and the climate change that will affect all our lives. If you think we should be sure to make plans with more open space, more amenities and more protection for the natural environment then you should make sure to let your Councillors know.
Youth Facilities There is a real need to provide for better facilities for young people in Wicklow Town. At the moment there is no modern Youth Centre, cinema or youth cafes in the town. (Some of this is promised in the new Marlton Rd development). The Green Party supports the Wicklow Community Resource Centre in its endeavour to get the Parochial Hall refurbished and we would encourage people of Wicklow to get behind this project. We would also like to see a Community Radio, recording studios, a youth café and other such facilities provided in the centre of the town.
Public parks One of the key areas in the town w h e r e you can enjoy your leisure time, exercise and appreciate the beauty of the coastline is of course the Murrough. However, the erosion here is pervasive and ongoing. This means that even in the fairly short term, in 50 years, we can expect this amenity to disappear. Where will people go for their leisure at that stage? There are no major parks planned for Wicklow Town or much open space left for our passive enjoyment amidst all the houses and offices. Some people in the town would like to see circular paths opened up and maintained along the Murrough while we can still walk there. At the moment long-used paths are blocked by barbed wire. Would you like better walks here? Tell your councillors. And tell your Councillors if you don’t think there is enough open space allocated in the plan.
Playing fields on the edge of town? Another proposed change is for the land around Tinakilly previously intended for playing fields to be rezoned for housing and for land closer to the Broadlough to be zoned for playing fields. The zoned land at Tinakilly is not unsuitable for housing as it is close to the centre of Rathnew. However the proposed new location for the playing fields is on the north facing slope of the hill, and is known to be very cold and windy at times. The same problems apply to the land that has been allocated for playing fields in the south of the town at Wicklow Head. This land is also known to be cold at times. This location is quite far out of town, probably too far for most kids or adults to walk. The allocation of space for amenities, walking, playing etc is probably the most controversial issue as the land currently in use is now valuable for commercial development. There is pressure to relocate recreational land to the new edges of the town. Is this what you want? You can look at the proposals on the web, contact your councillors and tell them what you want them to vote for. 5
Ashford News
Rathnew
Changes in Rathnew There are significant changes around Rathnew, the Wicklow College Campus (previously Claremont School) and around Tinakilly. An interesting proposal is to save space for an “integrated public transport centre” close to the railway line in Rathnew. This is where the buses could park overnight if we ever get a really good public transport service to take people living in Wicklow to their work places (probably on the edges of Dublin). It would be an important central place to interconnect with all forms of transport. Of course there is no budget allocated at present to build this “transport hub” but at least the option is there. A new half- hourly bus service from Wicklow to Dublin begins in March and this could be a very positive service for the town.
Green Tip! Film and foil Research has shown that, as well as helping the environment, re-useable containers will be more beneficial to your health than miles of aluminium foil or clingfilm. No doubt it will also reduce stress levels, by avoiding that imoment when the foil or film runs out just too soon to cover what you are doing ...
The draft Ashford Local Area Plan 2008-13 has also been published and will be discussed by councils in a couple of months. The council’s plan has adopted many of the community’s ideas for facilities around the village including a community centre attached to the The weir in Ashford school and hard surface areas for play in the zoned land by the roundabout and close to the existing football pitches on the Bel Air Road. There is also an objective to develop a flood- lit river walk. The mains issues around the plan are the proposals to sink wells into the local aquifer to increase the water supply for Ashford and Wicklow by 2010, when it is hoped the sewage treatment plant in Wicklow town will be finished and development in the village can commence. People can look at the Ashford Development Association submission on the net at www.ashford.ie and canvass their county councillors who will vote to adopt the draft plan in due course. Another useful initiative is a local weather site in Ashford. You can look up the local weather forecast for the Wicklow: area @ wicklowweather.com
Billy Byrne Statue in front of the Court House
Local democracy at work People might like to observe the meetings of Wicklow Town Council. These meetings are held on the first Monday evening of every month at 7:30 pm. The meetings are held in the existing Town Hall and are open to the public. Unfortunately there is very little room in the existing Town Hall to accommodate members of the public. It has been proposed that the council should meet in the County Buildings just down the road where there are now excellent facilities for people to watch and listen to the Councillors debating different issues. Wicklow County Council has begun to broadcast its meetings over the Web and the Town Council should also look at this possibility in the future. There are plans are to rebuild St Mantans House situated next to the convent, and to move the Town Council offices there. It is likely that the existing town hall will be sold. Wicklow County Council holds its meetings on the 1st Monday of every month at 2 p.m. in the afternoon in Wicklow County Buildings. There is plenty of space for members of the public to sit and observe the County Council meetings.
6
Rathdrum News
Rathdrum • There are local concerns about the fact that building development is coming to a halt just outside the town due to economic downturn. It also appears that there is no pathway being put in from this development to the town. However the development in the middle of the town is going ahead to plan. Unfortunately this cannot be said of the council housing which is being built at Saville Crossroad, Rathdrum which according to the latest rumour will now be ready between February and March of next year 2008, almost three years after it was first started! • Congratulations to the Rathdrum Tidy Towns who, after only being in existence two years have already made a difference to the town! A new Mass path has been laid from the Fairgreen to the Church and another pathway has been laid going through the woods at the old VEC building down to the Main Road opposite the Garda Station. Walls and paths around the town have also been tidied up. There is also much work planned for the coming year - planting of bulbs which will involve different sections of the community, as well as plans for more paths around the Fairgreen for safety reasons. The Tidy Towns committee is also responsible for the putting up of the Christmas Lights in Town. Again congratulations to a very committed group of people.
New Planning applications If you like the town and the way it looks, you should make your views clearly known to the Town and County Councils. It is a good idea also to check new planning applications that come before the council. You can Main Street Wicklow looking towards the site of the ask the council to pre-ecclesiastical settlement email you a list of all the new applications every month if you want to see what is being proposed. You can e-mail the town clerk at tclerk@wicklowudc.ie
Making access easier for the disabled We welcome the recent Access Audit for Wicklow, under the Disability Act 2005. Under the Program for Prosperity and Fairness (PPF) Agreement, the government made a commitment that all public services would be made accessible. In accordance with this commitment, the National Disability Authority (NDA) has issued guidelines, for the built and external environment in a publication entitled “Building for Everyone”. This book shows how to design, make and manage buildings and external environment for the inclusion, access and use of everybody. Access Audit Guidelines and “Building for Everyone” are available in PDF format at www.nda.ie Barriers faced by people with disabilities Everyone requires equal consideration from those who commission, design, construct or manage buildings and the external environment. For example: • Someone who is short of breath or has a broken ankle will find stairs difficult or impossible; • A smooth circular doorknob will be very difficult to use if a person has poor grip; • Street furniture or bollards that do not contrast with the background are a hazard for people with poor vision; • Even a single step can deny entry to a person pulling a suitcase on wheels, or a person using a wheelchair. Building for Everyone This book demonstrates how you can: 1. Design an accessible bathroom 2. Install a ramp into your office or home 3. Widen doors 4. Design accessible elevators 5. Create an accessible external (outdoors) environment (National Disability Authority) We are now calling upon members of Wicklow Chamber of Commerce, retailers, hospitality and service providers to conduct their own Disability Access Audit for Wicklow. Simple measures such as providing a ramp and handrail, making aisles slightly wider, providing convenient seating where members of the public need to queue, can make a world of difference to people with a disability. 7
Senator Deirdre de Burca
Your Local Councillors
Tel: 01 618 3513 E: deirdre.deburca@oireachtas.ie W: www.deirdredeburca.ie
Wicklow County Council
Pat Doran FF (05394) 26249 Nicky Kelly Labour (0402) 32385 NKelly@wicklowcoco.ie Vincent Blake FG (0402) 38256 VBlake@wicklowcoco.ie Sylvester Bourke FG (0402) 32185 SBourke@wicklowcoco.ie William J. O’Connell FF (0402) 32264(O), (0402) 39783(H) Thomas Cullen Non-Party (059) 6481786 TCullen@wicklowcoco.ie James Ruttle Non-Party (01) 4582234 JRuttle@wicklowcoco.ie Edward Timmins FG (059) 6481655 ETimmins@wicklowcoco.ie Michael Lawlor FF (01) 2861452 John Byrne Labour (01) 2861534(O) JByrne@wicklowcoco.ie John Ryan FG (01) 2761439 JRyan@wicklowcoco.ie Christopher Fox Non-Party (01) 6183548(O) CFox@wicklowcoco.ie Anne Ferris Labour (01) 2760583(O) AFerris@wicklowcoco.ie Deirdre DeBurca GP 086 8061450 DDeBurca@wicklowcoco.ie Pat Vance FF (01) 2868169 PVance@wicklowcoco.ie Tom Fortune Labour (01) 2876135 TFortune@wicklowcoco.ie Derek Mitchell FG (01) 2874115 Mitchelld@eircom.net George Jones FG (01) 6363210(O) GJJones@wicklowcoco.ie Kathleen Kelleher FF (01) 2875327 KKelleher@wicklowcoco.ie Pat Casey Non-Party (0404) 45683/45122 PCasey@wicklowcoco.ie James O’Shaughnessy Labour (0404) 46844 JOShaugh@wicklowcoco.ie Fachtna Whittle FF (0404) 68344 FWhittle@wicklowcoco.ie Conal Kavanagh Labour (0404) 61942 CKavanagh@wicklowcoco.ie Pat Byrne FG (0404) 67454
Wicklow Town Council Irene Winters Eamonn Long Oliver(Stan) Lalor John O’Brien 0404 68974 Robert Kearns 0404 - 69146 Fachtna Whittle Denis Teevan 0404 62066 (W) Pat Byrne (0404) 67454 Conal Kavanagh (0404) 61942 8
FG SF Non-Party Labour Non Party Non Party FF FG Labour
Constituency Office: 2 Killarney Villas, Bray, Co. Wicklow Tel: 2745402 Seanad Éireann: Leinster House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2 If you would like more information about the work of the Green Party in Wicklow or particular green policies please fill out the form below and return to the Constituency Office at: 2 Killarney Villas, Bray, Co. Wicklow BLOCK CAPITALS PLEASE
Name Address Phone/Mobile E-mail Please indicate Policy Area
Your Local Area Representive Pat Kavanagh Green Party, Local Area Representative in Wicklow. email: pat_kavanagh_00@yahoo.com mobile: 086 2099562. A native of High Street, Wicklow Town, Pat attended Dominican College before taking her Social Care Degree at D.I.T. Pat spent 16 years working with disadvantaged and disabled children and became very involved in local children’s arts. She established The Cave Children’s Arts Centre in 1999. Pat has served on Wicklow Co Childcare Committee, the Parents Association of Gaelscoil Chill Mhantain and Wicklow No-Name club. She is currently a member of Friends of the Murrough and Wicklow Community Resource Committee, which aims to establish a community centre at the old Parochial Hall. Pat is married to Francis and they have two teenage children.