Moving to new web-address

Thanks to everyone for following my blog. I’ve now moved it over to http://rodericogorman.com so if you’re following by feed reader etc. please head over there to keep up to date with my work and campaign.

The campaign is heating up now and I’m in with a shot of getting a seat on Fingal County Council but it will be a battle. If you’d like to lend a hand on the campaign trail you’re more then welcome. Just leave a comment or send me an email.

Roderic

Law needs to be changed so local authorities can deal with abandoned cars

Aftermath of burnt out car, St Mochtas estate, Coolmine

Over the last two years, I have been dealing with the issue of abandoned cars across Dublin 15. I have recently written to the Minister for the Environment, John Gormley TD, to ask him to consider amending the law in order to allow local authorities greater freedom to deal with removing abandoned cars.

Footpath at Castleknock Station needs to be widened

Narrow Foothpath at Granard Bridge - Blanchardstown

As someone who lives in Blanchardstown and gets the train from Castleknock every day, I think the footpath leading from the junction of the Roselawn Road and the Castleknock Road up the humpback bridge to the station is far too narrow. Obviously this is an extremely busy area for pedestrians, with commuters from Blanchardstown going to and from Castleknock Station.

In reality, there is only enough space for one person to walk on this section of the footpath. When two people meet, one is forced out onto the road in order to pass. Obviously, this creates a major danger for pedestrians and also for passing cars and cyclists. Added to this, visibility at this point is limited due to extremely bad lighting and the fact that cars and bicycles often cross the crest of the humpback bridge quickly.

I think it’s really important that Fingal County Council investigate means of improving safety at what is a very busy stretch of footpath. I was looking up the minutes of old Fingal County Council meetings and this issue was raised as far back as 2002. It’s time the Council took action to remedy a dangerous situation.

Success! Mayor of Fingal agrees to reconvene Liffey Valley Advisory Committee

Good news.

Further to my request to the Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Michael O’Donovan last week, calling on him to reconvene the Liffey Valley Advisory Committee which hasn’t met for the last 5 Years! (see here), the Mayor has emailed me and stated that he hopes to hold a meeting of the Committee in January.

Im delighted about this because, as I said in my press release, there are a range of important issues that have to be addressed about the Liffey Valley area (flooding in Strawberry Beds, possible Metro West bridge, extending the SAAO) and I think these need to be tackled on a cross county basis.

I look forward to hearing about the issues that the Committee will be addressing at its January meeting – maybe they might even be able to find the minutes from their last meeting in 2003 which are still missing!!

Text of Mayor of Fingals reply to me:

Roderic, a chara

Your point is well made.

However, I can assure you that we are still making progress on the Fingal side of the Valley.

We have, in the Development Plan, managed to maintain the Green Belt zoning on lands on the shoulder of the Liffey Valley and, of course, the SAAO remains in place in the core Valley area.

I have recently visited the Lucan Demesne/St. Catherine’s Park site and I’m happy that this parkland is developing well as a place for passive and active recreation. Fingal has invested €8 million there so far, and I’m confident we will preserve the wildlife areas there as well as developing sports fields on the lands.

We also have a plan to refurbish the old Metal Footbridge, although I’m not sure if funding is in place.

There is, of course, much more to be done, and it is important that we co-ordinate our efforts.

In the next week, I hope to bring officials and Councillors from the three local authorities together for a think-tank and to convene the Liffey Valley Committee in January.

We have good plans, including the development of the Shakleton Mills (now in Fingal ownership) as an interpretative centre for the Valley. We do, however, need OPW funding if we are to get the job done.

Perhaps you could prevail on your senior colleague John Gormley to release funding for the Liffey Valley National Park project. (This year, Fingal has been cut by 7% in our finance from the Government!).

I believe one of the reasons the Liffey Valley Committee meets so rarely is because so little funding is available for the Valley, even though we have the plans.

Le meas,

Cllr Michael O’Donovan

Press Release – Kellystown Rezoning decision a missed opportunity for long-term planning – O’Gorman

14/07/08

Green Party Dublin 15 representative, Roderic O’Gorman has branded as disappointing the decision of Fingal County Council to support the Kellystown rezoning without incorporating a Green Party amendment which would have insured that public transport was in place before any new houses were built. He was speaking after the motion to rezone the Kellystown lands was passed on a 12-10 vote.

“During the public consultation process on the rezoning, I and the Green Party undertook to support the variation, so long as proper conditions were inserted regarding the delivery of public transport infrastructure. Indeed, the stated intention of the rezoning motion was to “consolidate development around planned public transport facilities”. In order to secure the objective of sustainable planning based around ungraded public transport facilities, the Green Party proposed a sensible amendment stating that either the Metro West or the upgrade of the Maynooth line should be completed before any residential building began on the lands. This would not in any way have delayed the school building”, stated Roderic O’Gorman.

“I was deeply disappointed when Gilbert Power, on behalf of the Council Management Team, refused to accept this reasonable amendment, stating that it would make it impossible for a local area plan for the Kellystown lands to take place. How can the Council management reasonably argue on one hand that the core purpose of this rezoning is to make residential land available in conjunction with public transport, and then on the other hand reject attempts to have that very public transport mentioned as part of the variation? It simply doesn’t make sense”.

The Green Party amendment on public transport was supported by the Green Party councillors and others including Dublin 15 councillors Peggy Hamil, Michael O’Donovan and Ruth Coppinger. Among the Dublin 15 councillors who voted against the public transport amendment were Eithne Loftus, Mags Murray, Brenda Clifford and Margaret Richardson.

“I had made a commitment to residents that the Green Party would support the scheme in the event of the concerns, expressed to me by local people about providing public transport before the houses were built were addressed. As this was not done, the Green councillors reluctantly voted against the variation”.

“While I welcome the fact that land will now be available for schools, it is deeply disappointing that the Council management and a majority of the councillors were not prepared to push for strong guarantees regarding public transport. However, there will be another opportunity to push this issues again a local area plan is being drawn up for Kellystown. At that stage, myself and the Green councillors will fight hard to ensure that proper provision for public transport is written into the LAP”, concluded Roderic O’Gorman.

Ends

Further Information
Roderic O’Gorman: 087 417 9777
rodericogorman@gmail.com