Some of the issues I raised on 3rd November are written up as separate
pieces.  There are three other minor questions below. ITEM NO. 4

LITTER PROBLEM AT HARBOUR ROAD HOWTH

Question:    Councillor D. Healy

“To ask the Manager to report on the ongoing litter problem at Harbour
Road Howth, in particular the litter deriving from commercial premises?”

Reply:

There are approximately 50 litter bins on Harbour Road, Howth.  In
addition to this, extra bins are provided at weekends to cater for the
influx of visitors to the area.  The street cleaning schedule for
Harbour Road includes a litter van and a hand cart operator who clean
and sweep the area on a daily basis, and a mechanical road sweeper,
which cleans the area each Sunday.  It is felt that this level of
service is sufficient for the needs of the area.

If the Councillor wishes to forward the names of the commercial
premises that are in breach of the Act, the Litter Warden will call to
the premises to remind the owners of their obligations under the Act or
face prosecution. The Litter Warden patrols the area on a daily basis
and will monitor the commercial premises along Harbour Road.

ITEM NO.  12

FOOTPATH REPAIRS ON BALKILL ROAD

BETWEEN DRUNGRIFFAN ROAD AND WINDGATE ROAD

Question: Councillor D. Healy

“To ask the Manager to repair the footpath on Balkill Road between Dungriffan Road and Windgate Road?”

Reply:

There is no provision in the current Transportation Programme of Works
for footpath improvements at the location referred to in the question.

Footpath improvements at this location will be considered for inclusion
in the context of the preparation of the Draft Transportation Programme
of Works for 2006.

ITEM NO.  13

INSPECTION OF THE SLOPE BETWEEN DUNBO HILL

AND CHURCH STREET

Question: Councillor D. Healy

“To ask the Manager if he is satisfied with the stability of the slope
between Dunbo Hill and Church Street in the light of planning
applications on Dunbo Hill and anticipated construction traffic and
whether he would consider putting a weight limit on Dunbo Hill or
taking other steps to investigate the stability of the slope or reduce
the risk of failure?”

Reply:

The slope at the location referred to in the question was examined by
officials from this Department on 20th October 2005 and was found to be
stable.

In the event of high levels of construction traffic using the road,
further examinations will take place with a view to ensuring continued
stability of the road.

I have been trying since September to get a report from the Council as follows:

“That the Manager give a full report on the current status of proposed
new or altered roads in the Baldoyle/Portmarnock area, with a map to
show routes under consideration, proposed designs in planning
permissions etc. and with reference to various planning permissions in
force and in particular to address the options for the pedestrian and
cyclist routes along the Estuary.”

The fact that it should take so long is in itself worrying, as new
roads are being built by developers with insufficient control by the
Council.  Often the designs which are offered by developers are
particularly bad in the way they cater for pedestrians, which should be
the main priority in and near residential areas.  Also there is
still an unacceptable lack of progress in relation to the coastal
path.  This meeting will have to happen this month, or else it
will be on the agenda again for the area committee on 1st December.

During summer 2005 there were many fires in cut grass on Seagrange
Park. The grass was long grass from the wettest area of the park, an
area which can only be cut well into the summer.   Normal
grass cuttings are usually left to enrich the soil.  However,
following a motion of mine at the Area Cttee. the Parks Department has
undertaken to remove these long cuttings because of the fire risk

{mosimage}Trevor Sargent, T.D., leader of the Green Party, and David Healy, local
Councillor will speak at a public meeting in Baldoyle Library at 7pm on
Thursday 20th October. 
The topic is "What does the Green Party stand for?"   and we intend it to
be a relaxed question and answer style session.  All are welcome.

{mosimage}I successfully proposed at the Council that high standards for energy
efficiency and renewable energy should be incorporated into the Local
Area Plan for the Cappagh area.  These standards require an annual
heating and hot water energy requirement not exceeding 50 kWh/m2 and
that renewable energy be used to meet at least 30% of the these energy
needs.  These requirements are much higher than that in the
Building Control Regulations.  We failed to get them into the
Written Statement of the Development Plan, but did get them agreed from
a developer in relation to the Barnhill site in Dublin 15.  We are
now as Greens proposing them for all Local Area Plans and are very
pleased to get them agreed in this case.  

There are a lot of new houses being built in Fingal.  The 3 Green
councillors are doing everything we can to make sure they are built to
the best energy standards.  There is no reason why Ireland can’t
build houses which are every bit as good as those in Denmark or
Sweden.  This is a win-win solution, meaning lower energy bills
for those living in the houses, and much lower emissions of greenhouse
gas which damage the climate. The motion agreed is below.

That the following be included in the Cappagh local area plan:

“The residential development will attain high standards of energy
efficiency and environmental sustainibility, including the following:
–    bio-climatic site design,
–    water conservation,
–    ventilation,
–    energy efficient strategies for housing design,
–    daylight analysis,
–  high insulation standards

“All new buildings will meet the minimum low energy performance
standards (as defined below) as a prerequisite to receiving planning
approval (calculation report to be submitted with the planning
application). Each building’s energy performance calculation must be
demonstrated on the basis of a simple approved method (e.g. EN 832)
carried out by qualified or accredited experts.  Low energy
buildings are defined as building with an annual heating requirement
(space and  water heating) not exceeding 50 kWh/m2 of useful floor
area.

The development will utilise renewable energy supply systems to meet at
least 30% of the buildings space and water heating requirements as
calculated on the basis of an approved method carried out by qualified
or accredited experts.”

{mosimage}A second motion in relation to the Cappagh Local area plan in relation
to reducing water use in the plan was defeated.  This was stated
to be because the content of the motion is already covered in the
Development Plan.  In fact the motion is a more specific
commitment with greater details than the Development Plan.  The
real reason seemed to be an unwillingness to follow a lead from the
Green Party, which was the only party to submit any motions in relation
to the local area plan.  It was interesting to note that some
councillors were visibly annoyed that the Greens had gotten their first
motion agreed  and spoke at length to tell us we were wasting
time.  Others were determined to bring their party colleagues into
line and succeeded.  Even more interesting was to see some Council
officials leave the room to gather in a few missing councillors from
their offices behind the Council chamber.  The result was that the
motion was defeated.  The text of the motion is below.  When
the report (supplied on paper at the meeting) is circulated, I will
attach it also. That the following be included in the Cappagh local area plan:

"The buildings will be required to incorporate provisions for reducing
water use including low flow fittings (toilets, taps, shower heads) and
provisions for reuse of rainwater and/or greywater for flushing toilets
etc."

{mosimage}Fingal County Council agreed today to a Green Party motion
that any notifications received claiming exemption from planning
permission for mobile phones will be circulated together with the
weekly planning lists. I  submitted this motion because  up
to now, mobile phone transmitters have been erected  and although
the  County Council had been informed, no-one was aware that this
exemption was being claimed.  In the case of the transmitters
erected beside St. Peter and Paul’s Boys National School in Baldoyle,
the exemption claimed did not apply and they had to be taken
down.  This decision will mean that community groups who keep an
eye on the planning lists will know of at least some of the proposed
"exempted" transmitters which are being put up in their area.

What are planning lists?

Some community groups or active citizens might not know about the
planning lists:  Every local authority has to produce a weekly list of
all applications made to it.  Most councils make these lists available
by email on request.  It enables residents’ associations, community and
environmental organisations to keep an eye on planning matters in their
area.

As Chair of the Environment Strategic Policy Committee on Fingal County
Council, I am a member of Fingal Development Board (www.fdb.ie). 
At the moment the Development Board is reviewing the County Development
Strategy which it agreed in 2002. 

I have been emphasising the need to adress greenhouse gas emissions and rising fuel prices at the Development Board
At the moment the two actions, which need further development look like this

Energy and Climate Theme: Ensure investments made now do not commit us to ongoing high-energy demand.

•    Invest in land use and layout, which minimises transport demand.
•    Invest in low energy transport not high-energy transport.
•    Invest in energy efficient housing, buildings and production systems.
•    Invest in renewable energy and infrastructure not fossil fuel infrastructure.

Energy and Climate Theme : Prepare for economic and social
changes  which will result from higher energy prices (and likely
resulting recession).

•    Reduced transport (differentiated)
•    Localised economy.
•    Localised food production
•    Particular vulnerabilities of some sections of society and essential sectors of economy.

•    Prepare for sections of economy disappearing, shrinking.

Both need more working out into details.  The first however is
generally agreed.  The second seems to worry some of the members
and will have to be reworked.  Any suggestions or comments would
be welcome.

The original design which included houses on part of the zoned green
space at Moyclare was in breach of the County Development Plan and has been altered.  The original plan included 10
houses.  5 Houses are to be built in "the alcove" and 2 along the side
of 25 Moyclare Park, a total of 7. 

Although many residents had called for only the 5 houses in the alcove
to go ahead, I feel this represents a good design solution which will
improve the quality of the open space and provide much needed social
housing in the area.  The Moyclare Residents’ Association were
instrumental in achieving this signficant improvement for their
community.

By a vote of 10 to 9, the Council supported a motion by the 3 Green
councillors to revoke the draft area plan for the area around
Portmarnock Dart Station and to get a new area plan drawn up after
studies are done on the impact on wildlife and biodiversity,  the
land contours are mapped so that the new housing can be placed where it
won’t intrude on the Green Belt, and the initial design work is carried
out on the Millennium park.

The full motion agreed by the Council follows:
That the Draft Local Area Plan be revoked and a new Draft be drawn up following the carrying out of:
•    biodiversity studies (as mandated by the Council’s Heritage Plan Action 70)
•    initial design work on the Millennium Park
•    the production of contour maps and visibility
analysis to determine appropriate site ground levels and building
heights in order to meet Development Plan Specific Objective 234: “The
visual impact on the Green Belt of this new housing in Portmarnock will
be minimised by its siting, design and by planting”
and including the following in the Draft:
•    provisions to meet the concerns in relation to
biodiversity and parks and contour maps and visibililty referred to
above
•    provisions requiring high standards of design and
construction to meet energy efficiency, renewable energy, water
efficiency and other sustainability criteria
•    the proposed street network(s) for all road users
(including specific extra provision for pedestrians and cyclists where
appropriate), specifying cycling walking and bus networks with a higher
level of penetration through the area than cars as recommended by the
DTO, but without increasing traffic conflicts for such road users.
•    including as recommended by the Regional Planning
Guidelines and the DTO “building forms and layouts that allow for the
penetration of areas by pedestrians, cyclists and public transport”.
•    An outline of the SUDS-based drainage to be used in the area including consideration of ecological impacts
•    a public marketplace, on land taken in charge by
the County Council, within the limits set by the 2005 Public Safety
Zones Report .”