This link is the best way of explaining what I and my Green colleagues are trying to do in Fingal, in particular through the Energy Action on the Fingal Development Board:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klooRS-Jjyo

I have made a submission supporting the appeals against this development.

 
Re: Fingal County Council Reg. Reg 1684, junction of Abbey Street and Church Street, Howth

A chairde,

I refer to the appeals by Dougal Cousins and Deirdre I Lacy in relation to this application and wish to make the following submission.  I enclose the fee of €50.

I support the grounds of those appeals.

I refer the Board to it’s welcome previous decision in relation to this site PL06F.211025.  

Since then, there Conservation Research Officer has done considerable work in relation to the Statement of Character for the Howth Architectural Conservation Area. It may be useful to An Bord Pleanála to have direct access to that research itself.

The corner building which is a well-known and loved Howth landmark should not only be retained, but should also remain the dominant part of the complex of buildings as one approaches the junction from the south.

Church Street is in many respects a street of even greater architectural character than Abbey Street.  The proposal to have a blank wall facing onto this important street is unacceptable.  The street frontage to Church Street should be of terraced buildings. Given the variations in road level etc. and the need to keep the corner building as the dominant building, the height of these buildings to the street will have to be limited.  However, to the inside they could be higher given the slope.

The proposal to provide perpendicular car parking spaces at ground level on the other side of Church St., across the footpath, is an attack on the urban character of Church St.   Howth is a historic area dating from well before the era of the automobile.  An inherent part of its character, held dear by the people of Howth, is it’s pedestrian-oriented scale and it’s walkability.  To provide car-parking in this manner, on the inside of the footpath breaks the visual division between carriageway and footpath and represents an encroachment onto what should rightly be the building line, or in the alternative a garden area.

The inclusion of a gated car park access on Abbey Street undermines the amenity value of the street.  

Fingal County Council and the Department of the Marine maintain public car parks for hundreds of cars on the Harbour Road, at the East Pier, and on the West Pier, which are available for residents of Howth who do not have their own off-street parking spaces.

Almost all the adjoining houses are without car parking  .It would not be in any way exceptional in most countries to provide that houses in an architectural conservation area should be built without car parking in keeping with their neighbours.  The same should apply here. This is especially the case given that this site is well served by public transport.

The width of the footpath on Abbey Street is inadequate and dangerous.  It should be widened at this location either, ideally, by narrowing the carriageway or by setback of any new buildings being provided.

Given that a number of the issues raised above and in the appeals could not be addressed by way of conditions,  I urge you to refuse the application.

Is mise, le meas,

Cllr. David Healy

My objection to the blocking of access from the Dart Station to the Fás Training Centre and Baldoyle Industrial Estate has been taken on board by Dublin City Council
When Iarnród Éireann applied for retention of work at Howth Junction Station, I objected on the basis of lack of access for mobility impaired passengers to Fás and the Industrial Estate.

Today Dublin City Council sent me a copy of their decision, the first condition of which is that there must be mobility impaired access on all accesses/egresses and throughout the site!

Yesterday I attended the launch of a report by the Institute of Public Health in Ireland on Health Impacts of the Built Environment.  The launch included a presentation by Richard Jackson, Professor of Environmental Health at the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health.  The main lesson I took from it for application to my work as a councillor is the importance of walkable neighbourhoods for health.  Creating car-dependent communities has a severe impact on public health.  Medical treatment (at great cost, whether public or private) will not undo this impact.  We as councillors have a particular responsibility to ensure that  our communities are walkable.

These considerations unfortunately did not influence the Council’s decision later on in yesterday in relation to access in Baldoyle.
The review is at http://www.publichealth.ie/index.asp?locID=489&docID=649

Richard Jackson’s presentation should be going up on www.publichealth.ie very soon.

The Special Amenity Area Order Management Committee met on 5th July. The following are my incomplete notes from the meeting.
Notes from SAAO meeting 5th July 2006

Poor organisation of the meeting
1.    notice to new members?
2.    minute-taker
3.    dates to members of future meetings
4.    confirm agenda with cathaoirleach
5.    notify library of meetings

I will be raising the above matters with the Corporate Services and Planning Departments of the Council.  I will also be seeking to have the minutes of the Committee put on the Council’s website.

The landowner has indicated that he will clear Shielmartin path if Fingal ask him.  The meeting agreed to check with insurance in council and write if they agree.

Insurance
The question of insurance came up again and will be adressed in detail at the next SAAO Management Committee meeting.  It was agreed to ask the insurance official from the Council to attend next SAAO meeting and address following questions:

Questions to be addressed re insurance
1.    What is the legal basis for liability, if any, arising from us putting up signs showing existing rights of way?
2.    What is the legal basis for liability, if any, if the Council maintains rights of way?
3.    What is the legal basis for liability, if any, if the Council ask landowners to maintain rights of way?
4.    What are the issues relating to disclaimers and warnings?
5.    What is the Council’s claims record in relation to rights of way in Howth and rights of way generally?
6.    What would the insurance cover cost from a commercial company?  
7.    Can we allocate some money from parking fees etc. to cover the insurance cost whether internally or externally?

Maintenance of rights of way to be discussed at next meeting, to include
1.    Set up maintenance fund?
2.    Volunteers doing maintenance?

Report in relation to St. Fintan’s Well
National Monuments met with Conservation officer, NM not concerned about well drying up.  Transport and water services met in relation to these issues.  James Walls didn’t find any answer.  Gerry Clabby to talk to hydrologist.

Middle Mountain
ABP purporting to move right of way – i.e. extinguish existing and create new:
a)    Extinguishment is a reserved function of the Council
b)    designated right of way in the SAAO – can only be varied by the Minister.

Designation of rights of way in development plan
Proposal to use Howth as first and pilot area for showing rights of way in the development plan, implementing GB02.  Agreed to recommend to Corporate Policy Group.

Signage
The Biodiversity Officer and a sub-committee will look at signage issues and draw up proposals for a scheme of signage of the rights-of-way.

Enforcement Issues
Right of way beside Sutton Castle
Entrance to Corr Castle – gate should be open

Strand Road car park
Recommended against it

Planning applications
Query – terms of reference of SAAO committee in looking at implementation of SAAO Order in relation to planning applications etc.

The proposed  car park on Strand Road Sutton has been turned down by the elected Council.
I reported at http://www.davidhealy.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=14&Itemid=32  that the proposal was going on public display and that I didn’t agree with it.  Local residents have also expressed their disagreement and as a result, the Special Amenity Area Order Management Committee (meeting on 5th July) recommended against the proposal and the full Council (meeting on 10th July) agreed to reject it.  Instead, the Council to simply mark the few existing spaces outside the field at the corner on Strand Road.  The estimated €50,000 remains in the kitty for the Special Amenity Area Order and I will be pressing to have it spent on signage and maintenance of rights of way.

Fingal County Council meetings are broadcast live and also recorded for 6 months at http://www.fingalcoco.public-i.tv/site/

My reports on two conferences on sucessive days organised by the Cultivate Centre.

The first report is in the form of the recommendations I have taken from the discussion as to the successful implementation of energy standards in Local Area Plans.