Gouldings/BMDC applied to Cork County Council for planning permission to: 1) Move the existing Gouldings fertiliser blending/bagging plant from its current location at Centre Park Road, Cork to a new build at Marino Point and 2) increase shipping activity at the jetty. BMDC stands for the Belvelly Marino Development Company DAC and it is a new collaborative venture between the Port of Cork and Lanber Holdings.

This move was expected for some time. The problem is, Marino Point is very close to Passage West. The PACE Centre is only 450 metres from the jetty. The Steampacket House apartments are only 500 metres away. Noise from the few ships that are currently using the Marino Point jetty is already keeping some residents of Passage West awake at night. And although the planning application included a significant volume of documentation including an Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) that is supposed to indicate how negative impacts like this will be mitigated, it had no assessment of night-time noise from the jetty at all.

In making their assessment of the planning application, the County Council did not pick this up. Yes, I and other residents made submissions asking them to address this point but the County Council did not. So I and others have appealed the Council’s proposed grant of planning for these proposed developments at Marino Point. We expect the development to happen but it should respect its nearest neighbours in Passage West and particularly their right to sleep at night-time.

My appeal is here:

Applications are invited from Passage West town centre for funding of streetscape and shopfront enhancement projects under the 2021 Town and Village Streetscape Enhancement scheme.

Commercial, residential or unoccupied buildings only are eligible to apply for the scheme.

Our Rural Future is the Government’s five-year strategy to revitalise rural Ireland and includes a commitment to upgrade and enhance shopfronts and street facades in our rural towns and villages. This activity will be funded by the Department of Rural & Community Development (DRCD) through this 2021 Streetscape Enhancement Measure. This is an additional Measure introduced as part of the Town & Village Renewal Scheme. €7 million is being made available under this Measure in 2021. Improving the visual appearance of our urban streetscapes increases pride and confidence in our home towns and villages, making them more attractive places to live, work and do business.

The focus of this measure is to support the upgrade and enhancement of shopfronts and street facades of defined areas within selected rural town/village centres.

Eligible Works

Eligible works include painting, signage replacement, shopfront improvement, scaffolding, materials, lighting and planting; see also below:

WORKS

• Green enhancement of entrances/ terraces with planting (Maximum grant funding €500)
• Painting of building/shopfront in carefully selected colours which will complement the host building and streetscape.
• Mural which must agreed in advance with Local Authority (Maximum grant funding €1,500)
• Decluttering and repair of shopfronts; decluttering can include such works as removing unnecessary signs, flagpoles, wiring etc (Maximum grant funding €2,000)
• Careful illumination and lighting of architectural features of buildings. (Maximum grant funding €4000)
• Improvements to shopfront window displays and staging. (Maximum grant funding €4000)
• Replacement of signage with traditional wooden fascia with wooden/hand painted lettering OR contemporary design (Maximum grant funding €4000)
• Canopies/Awnings complementary to the materials of the shopfront and building (including street furniture) (Maximum grant funding €4000)
• Replacement of existing shopfront with traditional painted wooden shopfront OR contemporary design (Maximum grant funding €4000)

Maximum per building €8,000

Grant Rates

Grant funding will be provided at the following rates:

• 70% for Individual premises – matched funding 30%
• 80% for Joint applications (groups of 3 or more adjacent premises) – matched funding 20%

• 100% – Where painting is undertaken by direct labour by applicant

Closing date

The closing date for applications is 5pm, Tuesday, 7th September 2021.

Procurement requirements for applications / Quotations

The following procurement rules apply, as a minimum, to the individual projects funded:

2 x Contractor quotations;

1 x Materials quotation;

(Note: 3 written quotations for contracts above €5,000 as per National Procurement

Guidelines)

Successful applications will require:

• Completed Application Form.
• Required Quotations
• Photograph prior to commencement of project

Payment of Grant Award will require

• Photograph of completed project
• Evidence of payment – ie bank statement extract showing transaction

Full guidelines and the application form are here:

An Bord Pleanála has granted planning permission for the first phase of development at Marino Point. This gives the green light to the Port of Cork for site preparation works including demolition of the remaining superstructures, infilling of the lagoon, site levelling, roadworks, installation of new drainage systems, a wastewater treatment plant and more.

The Board’s decision and attached conditions are here:

Cork County Council’s Carrigaline Municipal District Painting Scheme is once again open for 2021. Fantastic to see Passage West featuring so prominently on the cover page of the application forms! Any building in the main commercial areas of Carrigaline, Passage West, Glenbrook & Monkstown, Ringaskiddy (Main Street/N28 from Ringaskiddy Oratory to Ringaskiddy Community Centre) and Crosshaven (Lower Road/R612 from the vacant building opposite Chish and Fips to Buckley’s Bar) is eligible under the scheme. Tenants or owners of businesses in these areas can avail of a grant of up to 50% of the cost of works up to a maximum of €1000 for shop front improvements (painting and signage) carried out by a registered contractor. If you choose to do the painting yourself, there is a contribution of up to 100% of cost to cover the materials cost. Application forms and guidelines are below. We will arrange for some application forms to be put in Passage West Post Office over the next few days also.

Residential Scheme, Word and PDF versions:

Shopfront Scheme, Word & PDF versions:

Cork County Council is currently preparing a Transportation and Public Realm Enhancement Plan (TRPEP) for Carrigaline. As part of this process the Council wants to hear the views and opinions of residents, community groups, businesses and other interested parties as to how they perceive the town currently and the transportation related (i.e. active travel, public transport and roads) and public realm interventions they would like to see as the town develops. These submissions will be considered in the drafting of the TPREP .

A subsequent round of public consultation, presenting the measures proposed under the TRPEP, will take place once the draft Plan has been prepared.

A presentation providing an overview of the project and outlining how you can engage in the preparation of the Plan is available here and on Cork County Council’s website at www.corkcoco.ie/en/planning/traffic- transport:

Comments and observations may be submitted online on www.yourcouncil.ie, by email to trafficandtransport@corkcoco.ie or in writing to Senior Engineer, Cork County Council, Traffic and Transportation, Planning and Development Directorate, Floor 11, County Hall, Cork, on or before Monday 1st March 2021.

Cork City Council is in the process of upgrading the greenway from Páirc Uí Chaoimh all the way to the City boundary at the Forge, just west of the Roberts Bridge car park. That’s obviously massively relevant to us here in Passage West/Monkstown!

They’re doing this in two Phases. Phase 1 is from Páirc Uí Chaoimh to the N40 (excluding the footbridge). It includes widening of the existing surfaced area from 3m to 5m, the installation of new public lighting and CCTV, highlighting the heritage of the railway (especially at Blackrock Station) and creating a biodiversity corridor along the railway line. Construction of Phase 1 has started and if you would like to see the previously approved Part 8 plans, they are at: https://consult.corkcity.ie/en/consultation/improvement-works-passage-railway-greenway-improvement-scheme.

Phase 2 is from the footbridge over the N40 to #PassageWest, although most of the focus will be from this side of the N40 to Hop Island. The project will be looking at widening the paved surface, providing improved parking areas (especially at Harty’s Quay) and installing lighting. Surveying is starting this week. This will inform the preliminary consultation phase, likely to be in mid-December. The City Council is especially anxious to look at possible alternative routes/improvements to the current shared on-road path from the Rochestown railway station to Hop Island. If you are a greenway user and/or if you would like to to make contact about your experiences and any improvements you might like to see, please share your thoughts at this preliminary phase. It will help to inform the route options analysis as it progresses. You can email the City Council to adrian_quinn@corkcity.ie. You can also obviously make contact with me if that’s easier!

Funding was approved by Cork County Council’s South Cork Local Community Development Committee today for a whole range of community groups under the Community Enhancement Programme. The scheme had 132 applications, was well oversubscribed and thanks to the LCDC for making a real effort to make sure as many groups as possible got what they were requesting. Some funding applications were transferred to the Covid Emergency Fund to which they were more suited. Two applications were transferred to the Creative Ireland grant scheme and were funded that way.

The full list of awarded grants under the Community Enhancement Programme is at this link:

Projects receiving funding under the Covid Emergency Fund and Creative Ireland grant schemes are here:

As you know from previous posts, a planning application was lodged for Marino Point to upgrade the site infrastructure so it could function as an IDA-type industrial park and accept some of the current City Quays/Tivoli activities. It was no great surprise that the planning application was granted by Cork County Council. The decision was appealed to An Bord Pleanála. I submitted an observation on that appeal this week on my particular concerns of 1) who would take responsibility for overall management of the site and 2) how it is impossible to assess the overall impact of the proposed development on #PassageWest and #CorkHarbour when planning of the site is split into all its component parts. If you’d like to read it, my observation is here:

Thanks to everyone who looked for a photo of the gas flaring for me. The planning application gave the impression that Marino Point is a long way away from any sensitive receptors. We know that’s not the case and I wanted to use the photo to emphasise how activity at Marino Point can (and has) impacted on Passage West in the past. This photo (above) was the best I could come up with. There are better images in my head ?

A licence for the clearfell of 6.54 hectares of trees in Garryduff Woods was granted by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) to Coillte in October 2018. The area that Coillte intends to cut is at the southern end of the forest. 6% of the trees in this area are broadleaf oak and beech, estimated as having been planted in 1863. A very small area is Douglas Fir and Juniper Larch. The remaining almost 60% is Sitka Spruce planted in 1970. The felling licence is at this link:

I’m guessing not many of us knew that a felling licence had been granted to Coillte for Garryduff Woods. When a felling licence application is received by DAFM, they advertise it on their website and there is a period of time during which the public can make comment. However there was no requirement for Coillte to put up a site notice.

What has alerted us to the possible loss of the Garryduff Woods that we know and love is that Coillte has now applied for a Forest Road Licence application to remove trees from the area it proposes to clearfell. They must stick up a site notice for this. The proposed road would run for 360 metres alongside the lower river. Building it would involve clearfelling a width of at least 15 metres. The Forest Road Licence application is here:

Coillte is obliged to replant the area they clearfell. The felling licence application shows that their replanting intentions are for 100% Sitka Spruce for future harvesting.

This is devastating for all of us who love Garryduff Woods, who rely on it for recreation, for space, for a bit of wildness in an urban environment. It means the loss of habitat for the red squirrel, badger and so many other avian, mammal and insect species.

We are in a period of public consultation on the Forest Road Licence application. You can make a submissions free of charge in relation until 26th June 2020. Your submission can be sent by post to:
Approvals Section, Forestry Division, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Johnstown Castle Estate, Co. Wexford
or by email to:
forestryappenq@agriculture.gov.ie.

You can express your views in your submission and they will be taken into account by a Forestry Inspector when s/he is considering the application. Make sure you provide your name and address and quote the reference number: CN86326.

This is my daughter during lockdown in the area of the forest which Coillte wants to decimate to build the forest road. Heartbreaking.

If you click on the following link, you will be able to read my submission to the National Transport Authority on the draft Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy.

To whom it may concern

This submission pertains to the total road closure proposal advertised on 19^thDecember for the R610 Glenbrook – Victoria Terrace/Bath Terrace/Sommerville Terrace from 12^thJanuary – 4^thMarch 2019.

I write on my own behalf and on the behalf of many others who have expressed their concerns to me with regard to this proposed closure which will sever the connection between the residents of Monkstown and their nearest services in Passage West.  It is also essential to point out in the strongest way possible that the service providers of Passage West depend upon the custom of the residents of Glenbrook and Monkstown and that of stopping passing traffic for survival of their businesses.  The proposed road closure would impact severely on the convenience of the people of Glenbrook and Monkstown and on the businesses of Passage West town centre.

For most of us the proposed total road closure is a temporary phase during which inconvenience must be minimised and safety must be maximised.  However for the businesses in Passage West town centre and in Monkstown, this proposed total closure follows over a year of sequential partial road closures and approximately three months of total road closures.  These ongoing restrictions in trade are a tremendous threat to their viability.  Several reported a 40% drop in turnover during a previous total road closure. Others either cut staff hours or laid off staff entirely.  For some of these businesses, implementation of the Lower Harbour drainage scheme may lead to permanent closure.  This is a heavy price for Passage West/Monkstown to pay for the beneficial gain of a wider audience.  Once again, I echo the calls of local businesses in asking that the County Council assists their survival with such practical measures as a rates reduction in the same way as the County Council is assisting Irish Water by their ongoing granting of road closure licences.

Specifically with regard to the current road closure application, I ask that Cork County Council would take the following considerations into account and condition the road closure licence accordingly.

1. As in previous total closures of the R610, the applicant proposes to provide a shuttle bus through Passage West to connect with the regular diverted Bus Eireann service.The Bus Eireann service calls to Monkstown only once per hour during most of the daytime period when the R610 is to be totally closed.  Residents of Monkstown who would normally come to Passage West during the day for services would, rather than tackling the circuitous and higher risk back roads, most likely take their custom elsewhere.  Over the period of a proposed almost two-month closure, this would have a massively negative impact on businesses in Passage West.  To relieve the severity of this loss of custom, I ask that a regular shuttle bus connecting Monkstown, Glenbrook and Passage West would be scheduled for once every 15 minutes.  This service would supplement the hourly Bus Eireann service, thereby providing a realistic alternative to residents who would otherwise drive to Carrigaline or Douglas.

2. One quarter of the children attending Scoil Barra Naofa (Monkstown primary school) live in Passage West or Glenbrook.There are many others who, although living in Monkstown, attend afterschool care either in private homes or in crèches in Passage West.  Parents driving to and from Monkstown school have already been significantly inconvenienced by road closures imposed in Passage West.  They have received no assistance from Irish Water or from Ward & Burke in overcoming this inconvenience.  The road closure now proposed for Glenbrook would present their greatest inconvenience to date.  They would endure the proposed partial closure of the R610 during the morning rush hour.  When collecting at either 1.30pm or 2.30pm, the R610 through Glenbrook would be totally closed. They would have no choice other than to use the back roads to get to Passage West.  Their most likely route from Scoil Barra Naofa would be up the Glen in Monkstown, along the back road to Rochestown Monastery and turning right at the monastery to re-enter Passage West via Church Hill.  The back road to the monastery is a narrow, winding road which necessitates careful, slow driving.  At several points along its length, two cars are unable to pass.  The inadequacy of this road to cope with diverted traffic has been well rehearsed in applications for previous total closures of the R610.  During the last total closure, traffic management relieved the danger of travelling the back road to the monastery.  Traffic management does not appear to be part of the current proposed total closure. Consequently the risk and inconvenience to Scoil Barra Naofa parents would again be unrecognised.  Foggy and icy weather is most frequently experienced during the January – March period and these are precisely the months during which the proposed total closure would force cars onto the elevated back roads.  At least some of this risk could be alleviated by the shuttle bus requested in 1. Above. It could be scheduled to serve Scoil Barra Naofa, particularly at school closing time.  Availability of a shuttle bus would would alleviate the risk of pushing cars onto the back roads and it would provide a realistic alternative to parents and minders who would have to endure this significant inconvenience for a period of almost two months.

3. It is highly likely that Bailey’s Lane would be used as a rat-run to circumvent that area of the R610 which would be totally closed.No traffic management has been proposed for Bailey’s Lane.  This is not acceptable.  Bailey’s Lane is narrow.  It cannot take two-way traffic.  Residences along Bailey’s Lane have no footpath interface between their front gates and passing traffic.  Moreover, the structural condition of the road is questionable.  It is imperative that Bailey’s Lane is either closed entirely to all but residents or that it is used as an official diversion in the same way as Fair Hill was used in previous total closures of the R610.  It is not acceptable that the current laissez-faire, cross-our-fingers-and-hope-for-the-best approach would be adopted.  This approach would serve no-one’s interests other than those of the contractor.

4. Should Bailey’s Lane be used as an official diversion similar to Fair Hill in the previous total closure of the R610, it would be fair recompense to the residents that traffic calming would be provided, perhaps in the form of ramps at the Passage West end.Traffic on Bailey’s Lane frequently travels far quicker than is safe or acceptable. To require the contractor to install traffic calming would be a long-term benefit to the residents and would compensate them for the risk and inconvenience of accommodating R610 traffic for what would be almost a two-month period.

5. During the working week, it is proposed that the southbound lane of the R610 would be open during rush hour and during the night-time period.However the southbound lane of the R610 is often blocked by cars queuing for the Cross River Ferry.  Moreover during the evening rush hour, cars coming from Ringaskiddy/Monkstown are forced to do almost a U-turn to join the ferry queue.  This further slows the movement of the queue that stretches back to Glenbrook. If the only lane of the R610 to be opened is the southbound lane and that southbound lane were to be blocked by the ferry queue, there would be total impasse.  There simply is not adequate road width to do what is proposed. Cars coming from the south would be waiting at traffic lights to pass through the single open lane; cars waiting for the ferry would be queuing in the southbound lane; cars coming from Passage West town centre would be travelling through the single open lane.  It would be necessary that the contractor would actively manage traffic passing through the partial closure during rush-hour periods.  Traffic build-ups may also be alleviated if Doyle’s Shipping were to be required to ensure two vessels were servicing the crossing at all peak times.  It may also help if the County Council were to liaise with Doyle’s Shipping on their traffic management methodology which allows cars from Ringaskiddy no option other than to do that U-turn into the ferry queue.  I am mindful that whilst the applicant for this road closure licence is not Doyle’s Shipping, appropriate traffic management is a key consideration in Cork County Council’s permitting of the Cross River Ferry operation.

6. Direct communication with residents living alongside the proposed works is critical and was not adequate during previous total road closures.  It is essential that one-to-one contact would be made with alladjacent homes.  A blanket leaflet drop is notsufficient.  It is equally critical that residents would be forewarned of days when works are expected to be additionally noisy, when dusty activities are due to take place, or when tides might favour working longer hours than proposed.  Again, such consultation notably did nottake place during previous closures despite commitments from the contractor. It is also essential that residents would receive adequate notice of any water outages.

7. Emergency services mustbe effectivelynotified in advance of any future road closures. Our experience heretofore has been that although the central control office of the National Ambulance Service was informed of the road closure, notification did not filter down to the drivers.  In the case of this proposed closure, we have been advised by the contractor that direct contact was made before Christmas with the local emergency service office and that they will be provided with weekly updates.  However, although similar reassurances have been provided before, during previous total closures we were all beyond lucky that no tragedy resulted from the significant delays experienced when misinformed ambulances did not know how to reach emergency callouts.  This proposed Glenbrook closure is for an almost two month period.  There can be no room for misinformation or mixed messages.

8. Experience from previoustotal road closuresin Passage West is that signage is critical.  During times of total closure, delivery trucks may attempt to reach Passage West town centre by using either the Lackaroe Road or the back road to the Monastery.Clear signage indicating that thisroad is not suitable for heavy vehicles will be necessary at the bottom of Carrigmahon Hill, at the Rochestown Inn junction, at Monastery Cross and on Church Hill.  It is also important that signage on the N28, N40 and at Rochestown would clearly indicate that through traffic into the town centre is possible and that Passage West town centre is indeed open for business.

9. I have run out of words to describethe condition of the road surface between Raffeen and Glenbrook.Its condition is appalling and deteriorating.  Although supposedly temporary, some stretches are in place for almost two years.  I have received angry reports from residentswho have had to bear the costs of abnormal repairs to their cars, most particularly to their suspension systems.  I have received frustrated communications from cyclists who no longer use the R610 because it has simply become too dangerous for them.  This is all as a consequence of the appalling quality of these temporary road surfaces.  The temporary surface recently laid in Glenbrook is particularly dreadful.  I raised the quality of the Glenbrook surface as an unacceptable issue in my submission to the previous total closure of the R610.  I was contacted by a representative of the contractor who addressed each of the points of my submission in turn.  The contractor’s representative agreed with my criticism of the temporary surface in Glenbrook, acknowledged that this had been raised as an issue by others also and reassured me that it would be improved.  I cannot see any improvement nor that the contractor followed through on this commitment.

10. The quality of clean-up after both total and partial closures has, to date, been abysmal.The centre of Monkstown village, particularly around the grassy island and Sandquay area remains like a construction site.  The soil on the island is rough and full of stones.  The area is littered.  The road is dirty.  The bus stop remains covered with a black plastic sack.  The road sign lies in the mud.  It is not acceptable.  Residents tolerate the construction phase of the project, knowing that it is essential to the installation of the Lower Harbour scheme.  It is absolutely unacceptable that any contractual footprint would remain post-construction.  It is essential when the works are underway in Glenbrook that the road would be regularly swept, that litter would be cleaned up and that when the works are complete, that the area would be returned to the status quo within a short period of days.

I should appreciate contact from either Cork County Council or the Lower Harbour drainage project team to address my concerns as outlined above.  I also expect that the procedures for road closure applications as outlined below and on the County Council’s website would be followed:

• “If any observations/objections are received, the applicant will be contacted in this regard and will be required to engage directlywith the Third Party to seek resolution to issues raised.
• Once issues have been resolved, the Roads Authority needs written confirmation from the organiser of how objections/observations were addressed.  The Roads Authority may also seek confirmation from the Objector/s whether their needs have been satisfactorily addressed ….”

To facilitate direct contact with myself with regard to these proposed closures of the R610 in Passage West, I confirm that I consent to the transfer of this information and my details to the applicant.

Regards,
Marcia D’Alton.

____________________________________
Marcia D’Alton
Independent Member, Cork County Council

Mobile: 085 – 7333852
Website: www.marciadalton.net
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cllrmarciadalton
Twitter: @marciadalton

The following are the projects which have been submitted by Cork County Council for funding under two new government grants, the Urban Regeneration & Development Fund and the Rural Regeneration & Development Fund.  The Urban fund is targeted specifically at cities and larger towns in Metropolitan areas.  The Rural fund is targeted at towns outside of these areas and with populations of less than 10,000.

Urban Regen Dev Fund – List of Applications

Rural Regen Dev Fund – List of Applications

Great to see a total of €282,115 being allocated to 59 groups in South Cork for projects they had asked to be funded under the Community Enhancement Programme. This is a fund distributed by the Department of Rural and Community Development and administered by Cork County Council. The groups and projects awarded funding throughout the county are listed in full here:
CEP South LCDC Cork County Group amount description Final

Funding was also granted under a specific Men’s Shed Fund to 12 Men’s Sheds in South Cork.  The groups, their proposed projects and the funding amounts can all be seen here:
SOUTH CORK

Cork County Council has granted Irish Water/Ward & Burke a licence for the total closure of the R610 (Cork Street) to lay a 90 metre stretch of sewer around the Passage West library.  The area to be dug is the yellow one in the picture below. It has been granted for 4 weeks.

When this work is complete, the sewer-laying will move into the greenway (green area above) for three weeks.  The greenway will not be accessible during this time.  Three more road closure applications will be submitted to complete the works on the Cork Road in Passage West.  The light blue, pink and grey ones will all be total road closures whilst the dark blue one will be a partial road closure, i.e. single lane flow permitted with lights.

The road closure licence is based on the contractor’s commitment to working 7 days a week and 12 hour days and has the following conditions attached:

1. A public meeting is to be held with all interested stakeholders to give a detailed briefing on the overall plan to complete works in Passage/Glenbrook. No further closures on the R610 will be granted until after this meeting has been held and a full programme of works has been submitted.

2. No road closures will be granted on the R610 after 31st October 2018 to allow Passage West to recover trade for the Christmas season.

3. Any remaining road closures after this date required on the Cork Road or Glenbrook to be planned to coincide with school holidays/mid term breaks.

4. Working Hours to be agreed with Area Office prior to road closure.

5. Full width road reinstatement is required for the full extent of this and all future road closure applications required for the completion of the works.

6. A road opening licence must be applied for to cover the planned works.

7. Traffic lights are to be used on the L2475 (Back road) outside of contractors working hours. During working hours traffic on the road is to be controlled using a Stop go system.

8. The applicant will need to survey the L2475 (Back road) to assess any areas of overhanging branches/hedges that may impact on traffic and any areas of hedge cutting/verge cutting as required for road safety / sight distance at junctions and these are to to be cut back as necessary subject to compliance with Wild Life Act and land owners agreement. This needs to be done before the road closure is put in place. This is to be monitored at regular intervals during the road closure.

9. The applicant is to put in place a system to regularly monitor the L2475 surface condition during the closure. If there are potholes on the route these are to be repaired immediately during the closure period.

10. The applicant will need to put in place a daily check system to ensure the road condition and signage in place on both the official diversion route and local routes are in order.

11. No HGV’s are to use the L2475 (Back road). Signage to be put in place signifying route for HGV’s.

12. Full engagement with Businesses in Passage West to assist with difficulties in trading associated with this Closure. This is to include advertisements in Local press/Social media as well as agreed signage.

13. Provide details of the revised bus arrangements for the Passage West service including revised routes and shuttle bus arrangements. Confirmation of engagement with Bus Eireann should be provided at least one week before closure to begin.

Irish Water/Ervia has issued an information brochure on arrangements for access during this coming four week period.  It can be accessed here: FAQ on Cork Street Road Closure_Update 2

They have also organised a public information session tonight, 10th August, 6.30-8.30pm at the PACE Centre, Passage West.  It is expected to address both further details of arrangements during the upcoming closure and an overview of the future total closures that may be expected both on Cork Street and in Glenbrook.

The Cork Education and Training Board (CETB) has a brand new centre at Herons Wood, Carrigline which has excellent facilities and is offering a range of courses for the 2018/19 academic year.  All are detailed on the course brochure which you will find at the following link:

CETB brochure

RE:  Objection to the application made to Cork County Council for the temporary closing of the R610, Passage West for construction of a foul sewer pipe from 06.00 h Monday 13^thAugust 2018 to 06.00 h Friday 7^thSeptember 2018 (24 hour closure), Toureen House – Passage West library

The following petition was sent from the people of Passage West and Monkstown to Cork County Council in objection to the   application for the temporary closing of the R610, Passage West for construction of a foul sewer pipe from 06.00 h Monday 13^thAugust 2018 to 06.00 h Friday 7^thSeptember 2018 (24 hour closure), Toureen House – Passage West library.

Because of the short time period allowed for submissions, this petition was available for signing in the town centres of Passage West and Monkstown for only 24 hours. Nonetheless, even in that short time, it allowed 688 people the opportunity to express their objection to the proposed total road closure.  The reason for that objection was set out in the cover page:

Although we are a harbourside town and we welcome the cleaning up of Cork Harbour, this is the second time within a month that total closure of the R610 has been proposed to facilitate the installation of sewers. The first time, the proposed closure was from Glenbrook – Lucia Place for a period of two months.  We strongly opposed it and it was withdrawn.  A rethink was promised.  This proposed closure is the first part of what would be an even longer closure of the Cork Road.  We equally vehemently oppose this proposed road closure.

1. The combination of total road closures proposed for the Cork Road would seriously impinge on the everyday lives of residents and would have a catastrophic impact on the viability of businesses, particularly in Passage West town centre.
2. The combination of total road closures proposed for the Cork Road is likely to be even longer than that previously proposed for Glenbrook – Lucia Place.  
3. No information has been presented on the expected Glenbrook – Lucia Place closure. It is impossible for businesses and residents to evaluate the full impact of these proposed total road closures unless they are presented holistically.  The likely reality is that the two total road closures could span a collective 4 – 6 months.
4. The impact of any prolonged total road closure on business is far longer than the period of the closure itself. What is proposed in these road closures would close several businesses in Passage West town centre entirely and would catastrophically impact on all others.
5. There is much concern that the advertised 18 km alternative route for emergency vehicles could place lives and property at risk.
6. The 223 is the only public bus route through Passage West/Monkstown. The alternative proposed shuttle bus arrangements are unsatisfactory and would prohibit the bus from use as a reliable form of transport. 
7. The alternative route identified involves travelling the temporary road surface laid by Ward & Burke from Monkstown through Raffeen to the N28. Its poor quality has a costly and detrimental effect on vehicles.
8. Neither the surface nor the width of our local roads could accommodate the diverted local traffic which would inevitably use them to avoid the 18 km advertised alternative route.
9. Many working in the Ringaskiddy Strategic Employment Area commute through Passage West/Monkstown so as to avoid congestion on Carr’s Hill.The impact on the wider road network of forcing all commuting traffic through the Shannonpark roundabout has not been considered.
10. A total road closure such as is being suggested for the R610 through Passage West would effectively shut down any town and is an entirely unprecedented proposal.

For over a year we have lived with significant inconvenience to accommodate the laying of sewers.  We have tolerated the inconvenience because we understand the benefits of the Lower Harbour drainage scheme.  Our town cannot withstand the burden of what is now proposed.  We need more time so that businesses can employ expert engineering and legal advice.  We need Ward and Burke/Ervia to use every resource to achieve real reductions in the length of time for which these total closures are proposed. Failing those deliverables, we call for Ervia/Irish Water to return to the planning process to seek approval for an alternative route by which the sewer can be brought through Passage West – a route that will keep the R610 open.

Signatures
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It doesn’t matter how many times I have counted these, I keep getting a different number!

Well done everyone!

Petition re road closure

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This is a link to my own objection:

Submission – total road closure, 20-06-2018

Great that the following Youth Club grants have been approved by the ETB Youth Committee this week …

2018 ETB Youth Club grants approved

In accordance with Section 25 of the Taxi Regulation Act, as amended, Cork County Council proposes to make Bye Laws for the creation and regulation of appointed stands in Douglas County Cork.

A copy of the draft Bye Laws is available for inspection at Floor 5, County Hall; Council Offices in Carrigaline and Douglas Library during normal working hours until 20th July 2018.  A copy of the draft Bye-Laws can be obtained from the Council Office on Floor 5 County Hall.  The draft bye-laws are also available at this link:

180106 Draft Douglas Appointed Stand Bye-Laws 2018

Representations in relation to the draft Bye Laws may be made in writing to the Municipal District Officer, Floor 5, County Hall, Cork, before 27th July 2018.

This morning (31st May 2018), An Bord Pleanála granted Indaver Ireland planning permission to build an incinerator in Ringaskiddy to burn 240,000 tonnes of hazardous and non-hazardous waste each year.  This is the third planning application from Indaver for an incinerator on this site.  Each time, the people of Cork Harbour have fought to keep Indaver out of Cork Harbour.  Each time, against all odds, they have won.  This below is the link to today’s grant of planning from the Board.  In doing so, they followed a trend of overturning the recommendation of their Senior Planning Inspector. Every Planning Inspector who has scrutinised this or any of the previous planning applications has said that this is the wrong site for an incinerator.

We will fight on.

ABP decision, May 2018

I was so honoured and grateful to be asked to Scoil Barra Naofa, Monkstown today to raise their fifth Green Flag.  They were awarded this flag for more than a year of work on learning about, talking about and encouraging biodiversity.  It follows on their previous Green Flag achievements for Waste, Energy, Travel/Transport and Water.  The following is (more or less!) the little speech I gave to the wonderfully attentive children:

SBN Green Flag for Biodiversity

Rowan View Developments applied for planning permission to build a 3 storey apartment development on the green beside Doodlebugs in Pembroke Wood.  The County Council granted permission for the development.  At the request of the Residents Association, I appealed the development to An Bord Pleanála on 15th May.  The text of my appeal is at the link below:

Appeal to ABP

The Ballincollig-Carrigaline Municipal District is offering its Streetscape Painting & Signage Scheme this year again. The scheme is focused at Passage West, Douglas and Ringaskiddy this year, although applications from Carrigaline and Ballincollig will also be considered.  The scheme offers all of last year’s benefits with a few more added.  You will find the grant application form and guidelines at the following link.  Apply before 1st June to get priority.

Streetscape Painting Scheme 2018

Creative Ireland is a 5-year government policy which is about mainstreaming creativity into everyday life so that we can all benefit, individually, as a community and nationally.

The two grant schemes announced by Cork County Council are for creative projects that meet the aims of Creative Ireland.  The first scheme is for creative projects generally whilst the second is for pop-up shops in vacant buildings.

Guidelines and application form are on the Cork County Council website at www.corkcoco.ie/arts-heritage/creative-ireland and at the following links:

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creative-ireland-county-cork-pop-up-shops-scheme-2018