STONEYBATTER MATTERS – Summer 2017

STONEYBATTER FESTIVAL 2017 – FANTASTIC SUCCESS!
The Stoneybatter Festival was a brilliant success. I want to extend my congratulations and thanks to the Organising Committee and everyone who played a part in making the Festival weekend such a memorable and exciting event!

PARK SHOPPING CENTRE – PLANNING APPLICATION (2038/17)
The Planning Department of Dublin City Council has granted planning permission for the redevelopment of the Park Shopping Centre. The decision of the City Council has been accompanied by the issuing of 31 separate conditions that must be adhered to in the event that permission is implemented. These conditions include:
• Details of materials, colours and textures of the external finishes should be agreed in writing with the Planning Department in advance of any works starting on site.
• The student accommodation can only be used during the academic year and cannot be used for the “purposes of permanent residential accommodation, as a hotel, hostel, apart-hotel or similar use without a prior grant of permission.”
• The student accommodation shall be managed “by an on-site management team on a 24hr full time basis”.
• The roof terraces shall not be permitted for use between 10pm and 7am.
• The public realm areas & new routes shall be open to the public in advance of the new buildings being occupied.
• No telecommunication apparatus like for antennae will be permitted to be installed on development “without the written consent of the Planning Authority.”
• Demolition and construction work will be restricted to between 7am and 6pm, Monday to Friday and 8am to 2pm on Saturdays. No work is permitted on site on Sundays and Public Holidays.
• Air Pollution Monitoring & Noise Control Unit, Archaeologist and Traffic requirements of Dublin City Council must be complied with.
Planning permission was granted on June 13th last. Anyone considering lodging an appeal with An Bord Pleanala have four weeks, from June 13th last to send it to the Secretary, An Bord Pleanala, 64 Marlborough Street, Dublin 1.

STONEYBATTER GRAFFITI REMOVAL
The Public Domain Unit of Dublin City Council has been removing incidents of graffiti from various buildings and locations across the Stoneybatter district. The Council’s Corporate Contractor and its own Waste Management Services have removed graffiti along North King Street, Croppys Acre, Manor Street, Prussia Street and Benburb Street. If there are items of graffiti on your street or avenue, please contact me at raymcadam@gmail.com and I will arrange for its removal.

AMENDMENT TO GRANGEGORMAN PLANNING SCHEME
Earlier this year, Dublin City Council wrote to An Bord Pleanala seeking clarification on whether an amendment to the Grangegorman Planning Scheme constituted a material change. The subject of this proposed amendment is the provision of a 24 classroom school building for Dublin 7 Educate Together National School compared with a 16 classroom facility as provided for in the original Planning Scheme approved by Councillors in 2012. The Secretary of An Bord Pleanala advised Dublin City Council, under the provisions of section 170(A) of the Planning and Development Act, 2000, as amended, to APPROVE the making of the amendment to the planning scheme. An Bord Pleanala has stated that the proposed amendment involves a simple increase in the size of a planned primary school within the scheme area, along with a matching reduction in the quantum of healthcare floor space. Therefore, as the amendment does not reflect a material change, in the eyes of the Board, no formal statutory consultation or observation process will be held on the matter. If you have any questions or queries arising from this information, please email me at raymcadam@gmail.com.

GOVERNMENT REPAIR & LEASING SCHEME
Dublin City Council, in line with our Fine Gael Government’s Housing Action Plan has initiated the Repair & Leasing Scheme. The focus of the scheme is to deliver housing while maximising the use of existing built housing stock in the City. Dublin City Council is targeting owners with vacant housing units that require refurbishment works up to a maximum of €40,000, inclusive of VAT. The refurbishment works are to be carried out to bring the properties up to standard for rented accommodation. The capital investment cost required to refurbish the units will be offset against lease rental payments to the property owner. The City Council is advertising the scheme on http://www.dublincity.ie where you can find full details of the scheme and how interested parties can apply. If you require any further information, please email me or the Council directly at rls@dublincity.ie.

274 NORTH CIRCULAR ROAD PLANNING APPLICATION
Dublin City Council has granted permission for the construction of a 444 bed student accommodation complex on the former Christian Brothers’ lands at 274 North Circular Road. Like many local residents, I lodged an observation on this application earlier this year and I disappointed with the decision of the Planning Department. I will be liaising with residents on lodging an appeal with An Bord Pleanala. Similarly to work I have been involved with in the Arbour Hill, I believe that an Oral Hearing should be ordered to provide residents with the opportunity to explain in greater detail their concerns over this development and the planning permission granted by Dublin City Council.

STONEYBATTER ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME 2017 – UPDATE
Further to my spring update, the Roads Maintenance Division of Dublin City Council has completed the tendering process to select contractors to undertake re-surfacing works across Stoneybatter. As I indicated, works are to take place on Ard Righ Place, Sitric Road, Aughrim Street and Manor Street. Since then, I have secured additional funding to enable the re-surfacing of Norseman Place and Ard Righ Road to take place. I expect that the re-surfacing programme of works will begin in early August. Permission for the temporary closure of roads affected will be sought over the next six weeks. When these temporary orders are approved and traffic management plans put in place, I will make sure to share that information with residents on Ard Righ Place, Sitric Road, Aughrim Street, Norseman Place and Ard Righ Road.

GRANGEGORMAN REDEVELOPMENT – PROGRESS REPORT
Following a High Court challenge to the awarding of contracts for the construction of the Central and East Quads on the Grangegorman campus, the project has been delayed by almost two years. No construction work could be undertaken while the legal challenge was ongoing. Now, that those legal issues have been addressed, the Grangegorman Development Agency (GDA) is now advancing construction on the site. Let me update you on the works taking place currently and where each individual project is at:
• HSE Residential Care Centre: a Design Team is currently being tendered for by the Grangegorman Development Agency.
• HSE Primary Care Centre: construction work has been completed with the fit out of the building now underway. The facility should be open by years’ end.
• Central & East Quads: construction work on the student accommodation centre is expected to begin this summer.
• Academic Hub: the GDA has appointed a Design Team with the historic North House to form a central component of the final design.

COMMUNITY BASED CCTV SCHEMES
Our Fine Gael-led Government recently announced details of a new grant aid scheme to assist local groups in establishing community-based CCTV systems. Under the scheme, eligible community groups can apply for up to 60% of the total capital cost of a proposed CCTV system, up to a maximum grant of €40,000. Upon approval of the grant, the applicant will receive an upfront payment of 50% of the grant with the balance to be paid when the system is fully operational. €1 million has been provided by the Government in Budget 2017 and it is planned that similar funding will be available across each of the next three years. Such community run schemes, when run in conjunction with a text alert scheme helps to give our communities an enhanced ability to be proactive about the prevention of crime locally. Further details of the scheme are available by contacting the Department of Justice at communitycctv@justice.ie.

LIFFEY CYCLE ROUTE – WHERE THINGS NOW STAND
The Transportation Strategic Policy Committee of Dublin City Council met last month where a discussion on the proposed Liffey Cycle Route took place. Officials put forward a revised Option that would see private vehicles continue to use the North Quays between Queen Street and Church Street, which represents a significant change from the proposals contained in Option 7. This alternative proposal differs in a number of ways, including:
• The boardwalk would be used by cyclists with pedestrians continuing to use the existing riverside footpaths.
• The boardwalk would not be tied into Mellowes Bridge but would be brought through the quay wall immediately either side of the bridge.
• The two-way cycle route would continue through the pinch point at Mellowes Bridge using the lane currently being used by general traffic. Access to the remaining lane would be controlled by new traffic signals upstream of Mellowes Bridge which would alternatively allow either buses or general traffic through the shuttle. This would allow for priority to be given to buses during peak times while still allowing general traffic to use this route.
Further concerns were raised and additional assessments have been sought. These assessments relate to noise and pollution as well as traffic impact analysis which is to be presented to the autumn meeting of the Transportation Policy Committee. I will keep Stoneybatter residents fully updated on this issue. Please contact me if you have any questions or queries about the details above.