Stoneybatter Matters – October 2023

GRANGEGORMAN BRING CENTRE – PROTECTED!

Our Bring Centre in Grangegorman has been protected! It is not going anywhere. Following on from further extensive engagement, I had with the Chief Executive of Dublin City Council, Richard Shakespeare, and after meeting with him before Monday’s Council meeting, the Waste Management Department will now not vacate the existing location for our Bring Centre in Grangegorman. The Chief Executive provided me with sufficient additional guarantees that means the City Council will only vacate the current location until, and I quote, “an alternative site is capable of delivering no less favourable services to those that are currently delivered” in the Grangegorman Bring Centre. Furthermore, the City Council will not “accept an alternative site that is not appropriately sized to accommodate the waste streams that are generated in the area” and is in line with the terms of the Grangegorman Strategic Development Zone Planning Scheme adopted by Councillors in 2009. This is obviously great news for Stoneybatter and the wider Dublin 7 community. I want to thank my colleagues, Cieran Perry, Nial Ring and my Fine Gael colleague, Councillor Colm O’Rourke for signing my Section 140 that ensured our Bring Centre would not be going anywhere. Finally, I want to thank you and other residents and households across Dublin 7 for the support you have given to my campaign to prevent the Grangegorman Bring Centre from being downgraded. Together, we have secured a great win for our neighbourhood, one that ensures important local services are retained and my objective now, is to ensure that these services are maintained and ultimately strengthened in the time ahead.

UPDATE ON GREENING STONEYBATTER

Many Stoneybatter residents and householders have been in touch with me seeking updates on the Greening Stoneybatter initiative. Let me, therefore, provide you with an update on the works planned before the end of this year and the suggested streets for inclusion in the tree-planting programme for next year. Firstly, the Parks Department has indicated that it intends for the following projects to proceed to construction and implementation this year, including the Arbour Hill Rain Garden, Ben Edair Tree planting and Billy Edwards planting. The City Council is advancing either detailed design works or tenders for contractors with regards tree-planting along Ivar Street and Fitzwilliam Place North, the Cowper Street Green School Zone and the Montpelier Hill traffic calming, drainage improvement and tree-planting initiative. Specific details of the Montpelier Hill programme are available on http://www.RayMcAdam.com. Design work in advance of local consultation is being prepared for possible tree-planting along Oxmantown Road, Halliday Road, Ross Street, Manor Place, Kirwan Street East, Kirwan Street Cottages – (Pocket Park), Finn Street, and St. Joseph’s Road. No specific timeframe has been provided to me yet for the advancement of these proposals, but I am working to secure greater detail so that I can share that information with you. Householders on a number of streets have been disappointed by the fact they are being prevented from having rain garden installations outside their homes. I am currently working to rectify this situation and will provide a further update to affected streets in the coming days.

O’DEVANEY GARDENS COMMUNITY CONSULTATIVE FORUM

Every month, the Community Consultative Forum meets, and our next scheduled meeting is set to take place on Tuesday evening next at 7pm. I expect to have details of the appointment of the main contractor and when that contractor will begin works on site, which I will circulate locally. Both the City Council and HML, Bartra’s Enabling Works Contractor have been continuing to manage the treatment of Japanese Knotweed in the vicinity of the O’Devaney site and near homes along Ashford Cottages, Ross Street and Ashford Street. The redevelopment of the former Infirmary Building for community use, which I secured agreement for, is progressing with the appointment of an enabling works contractor by the end of November. A specific planning application will be lodged before the end of this year. If you would like to receive more detailed updates from me on works associated with the redevelopment of O’Devaney Gardens, please email me at RayMcAdam@gmail.com with O’Devaney Updates in the subject line.

DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL CHILDCARE COMMITTEE – Update

As Chair of the City Council’s Planning & Urban Form Strategic Policy Committee, I have been examining how, through the planning process, we can increase the availability of affordable childcare. To date, the sub-group I established to examine the issue has identified areas  that directly relate to national planning policy on childcare. As a result, I am liaising with Ministers Roderic O’Gorman

and Darragh O’Brien in order to update existing Childcare Facilities Guidelines for Local Authorities. The most important aspect I am urging the Ministers to review and update is the need for new primary schools to be designed in a way that incorporates pre-school facilities.  This shared campus approach would be more sustainable for parents in allowing combined trips for young children; reducing stress for parents and traffic congestion and would also provide the opportunity to increase crèche provision in rapidly growing areas.  Side by side with the review of the childcare Guidelines I have also argued that consideration be given to updating Apartment Standard Guidelines. A key change, I believe, would be the decision to exclude schemes with a high number of one-bed and studio units from the requirement to provide childcare. As a policy-maker, City Councillor and parent availing pre-school facilities, I am deeply conscious of the pressures on the existing system and why the planning process can provide better opportunities for more affordable local childcare. If you would like more information on my work in this regard, please email me at RayMcAdam@gmail.com.

DRAFT CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 2024-2029: Consultation process open!

The Council’s draft climate action plan, Climate Neutral Dublin 2030, sets out the actions that will be taken by the City Council to prepare our city and people living here for the known impacts of climate change – flooding, sea level rise, extreme weather events, drought. Climate Neutral Dublin 2030 will set out how the City Council will mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and contribute the global effort to limit warming to below 1.5C. The publication of this plan is line with the requirements of Section 16 of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021. The plan has three targets that are interdependent:

• A 51% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in line with our National Climate Objective by 2030, while striving for neutrality before 2050 as per Dublin City’s participation in the EU Mission for 100 Climate Neutral and Smart Cities (Net Zero Cities).
• A Climate Resilient City prepared for the known and unknown impacts of climate change
• A Just Transition meaning that the actions we take do not cause harm.

You can lodge your observations on the draft Climate Action Plan in writing to climateaction@dublincity.ie, which must be submitted by November 2nd next.

HALLOWEEN 2023 PREPARATIONS

I have asked Dublin City Council to provide me with an update on preparatory works for Halloween 2023. Many residents have been in touch with me about the stockpiling of materials for bonfires and I am eager to ensure the Council remove these materials well in advance of Halloween itself. That’s why I have asked Council to provide me with details of the increased activity by Public Domain crews in the run-up to Halloween, what festivals and other diversionary activities are planned in the week leading up to and on Halloween and the engagement that has been undertaken to date with the Gardai. When that information is shared with me, I’ll circulate the details locally. If you come across materials that could be used for bonfires, etc, please call the Litter Hotline at 1800 248 348 or 01 222 5302. You can also email the Council at Litter.Central@dublincity.ie.

DRAFT DUBLIN CITY CENTRE TRANSPORT PLAN 2023 – Make sure to have your say!

Last month, the Transportation Strategic Policy Committee of Dublin City Council considered the draft Dublin City Centre Transport Plan 2023. This is a project that has been prepared in partnership with the National Transport Authority. While I am not a member of the Transportation Committee, I attended the meeting last month to consider the plan. It is clear to me that the proposals contained in this Plan will have far-reaching impacts on the entire city, not just the immediate the city centre area. That is why I want to make sure to take the opportunity to learn more about this draft plan and how it is that you can have your say on it. The key parameters of the plan include:

• Meeting the transport targets set out in the Development plan by making the city centre a low traffic environment and removing the 2 out of every 3 cars in the city centre which don’t have a destination there.
• Implementing a series of traffic management measures which prioritise pedestrians, public transport users and cyclists throughout the city centre and ensure that advantage is taken of the reduced traffic volumes to allocate more space to sustainable modes.
• Ensuring that the current and planned public transport services through the city centre can operate efficiently with minimum delays and with adequate space in the public realm for public transport users.
• Reallocating sections of the North and South Quays to public transport, walking and cycling only.
• Implementing new traffic arrangements at Westland Row allowing for space to be reallocated on Pearse Street, Tara Street, Beresford Place and Gardiner Street.
• Creating the potential for a new plaza area at the Custom House Quay or Beresford place.
• Making Parliament Street Traffic Free along with College Green/ Dame Street to Georges Street.
• Exploring alternative uses of road space at night time and weekends.

If you would like a copy of the draft Dublin City Centre Transport Plan 2023, please email me at RayMcAdam@gmail.com. The public consultation is open until December 1^st. You can share with your feedback with the City Council via the online survey at https://consultation.dublincity.ie/traffic-and-transport/draft-dublin-city-centre-transport-plan/consultation/intro/. I’d really welcome your thoughts on this initiative.

AUGHRIM COURT CLEAN-UP

I have asked the Housing Department of Dublin City Council to undertake a deep clean of Aughrim Court Senior Citizens complex. I expect the exterior of the complex to be weeded and the cobble lock to be power washed with the walls to painted and varnished. Aughrim Court has always been a popular and well maintained complex and I want to make that deserved reputation is maintained