ASHBOURNE MD MEETINGS
February 2017
6 Notice of Question 6.1 Submitted by Councillor Alan Tobin “When are repair works scheduled for the two areas in the Ashbourne Municipal District where roads infrastructure need immediate attention due to serious road safety and pedestrian risk:
1) Alderbrook traffic tables;
2) Subsidence on the L1618-19 between the R108 and Stamullen village?”
Response: The following is an update on the locations that require work as requested as part of this Notice of Question: 1) Alderbrook traffic tables project is currently with the technical staff who are in the process of finishing the tender documents. It is intended to proceed to works stage in the next 2 months. 2) There is currently no funding available to carry out repair works to deal with the subsidence on the L1618-19 (between the R108 and Stamullen village). This section of road has traffic management installed (cones and signage highlighting the subsidence to road users). This traffic management is checked and maintained twice daily by the GSS. If funding becomes available in the near future works can be arranged to strengthen the road. The response was noted.
7.2 Submitted by Councillor Alan Tobin “To ask the Executive to carry out a feasibility study on lands currently for sale, at two locations in Ashbourne:
Supporting information subject to the motion being proposed, seconded and considered: An assessment of location, quantum etc. of open space to serve the needs of Ashbourne will form part of the development plan review process. The motion was noted.
7.3 Submitted by Councillor Alan Tobin “That Meath County Council engages with the Department of Education & Skills to immediately buy lands which have already been valued at the back of Ashbourne Community School. A number of options were submitted by me that could reduce the price and extend walkways, cycle lanes and publicly lit areas for public use. It would also ease residents legitimate safety concerns in an adjacent residential estate where there are no provisions for footpaths and increasing car dependency.”
Supporting information subject to the motion being proposed, seconded and considered: Fiona Lawless has agreed to look at the site on Wednesday 8th February with Cllr Alan Tobin and assess the feasibility of the request. The motion was proposed by Councillor Alan Tobin and seconded by Councillor Seán Smith. Following a short discussion, an amended motion was proposed by Councillor Suzanne Jamal and seconded by Councillor Seán Smith, as follows: “That Meath County Council engages with the Department of Education & Skills to evaluate lands as identified in the map below.” The amended motion was adopted.
March 2017
6 Notice of Question 6.1 Submitted by Councillor Alan Tobin “Would the Public Lighting Section consider taking in charge the public lighting in Ashbourne Manufacturing and Ashbourne Industrial Parks? Whilst considering this, could I ask the Department to take into consideration the commercial rates paid, the number of businesses present, their experience with management companies, safety at night, security issues and the numbers of cars, vans, trucks, etc. that use the estates and car parking facilities on a daily basis.”
Response: The Public Lighting Section can confirm that the Public Lighting in Ashbourne Industrial Estate has been taken in charge. There is a new Public Lighting scheme being worked on for the Estate. Once the civil works are completed by Planning, new Public Lighting will be installed as Part of the Public Lighting Capital Works. The following two business parks do not have Public Lighting in charge
• Ashbourne business park off the Ballymadun Road &
• Ashbourne Business Park off the Ballybin Road.
If the roads in these two business parks are taken in charge by Planning, the Public Lighting Section can then report on the technical aspects & costs for taking the Public Lighting in charge. The response was noted.
7.3 Submitted by Councillor Alan Tobin “To ask Meath County Council to install a pedestrian gate at Deerpark, Ashbourne, that will allow vehicular access to the Irish Water site, emergency services, the OPW and Meath County Council staff to eliminate anti-social behaviour and drug dealing in the area. If there are any right of way issues, what input would Councillors have to make sure this can be installed without further delay?”
Supporting information subject to the motion being proposed, seconded and considered: An inspection will be carried out of the site to establish whether a public right of way exists. If a public right of way exists, the potential for extinguishing this right of way and installing a gate (pedestrian or vehicular) will be considered. A report will be brought back to the MD Members after this investigation. The motion was proposed by Councillor Alan Tobin and seconded by Councillor Joe Bonner. Following a short discussion it was agreed that this gate would be included as part of the process for Ashbourne Linear Park and will be included in the tender. The motion was adopted.
7.4 Submitted by Councillor Alan Tobin “To ask Meath County Council Planning and Finance to look into the feasibility and discuss the pros and cons of an Ashbourne District Community tax or levy for new builds of housing and commercial units based on either €/ square metre or property value with all funds ring fenced for the purchase of future green open space and parkland, this will include the continued maintenance and upkeep of such space.”
Supporting information subject to the motion being proposed, seconded and considered: There is no provision under the Planning and Development Acts to introduce an area based Development Contribution Scheme. Section 48 of the Acts empowers the Planning Authority to introduce development contributions in respect of public infrastructure and facilities benefitting development in the area of the Planning Authority. The funding for the provision of open space is dealt with in the Meath County Development Contribution Scheme 2016-2021, adopted by the Council on 7th December, 2015. It sets out the types of public infrastructure and facilities that can be funded by the General Development Contributions and these include ‘the provision of open spaces, recreational and community facilities and amenities and landscaping works. The motion was proposed by Councillor Alan Tobin and seconded by Councillor Darren O’Rourke. A discussion followed and it was agreed that a revised motion would be resubmitted at a future meeting. The motion was noted.
May 2017
Notice of Question 6.1 Submitted by Councillor Alan Tobin “Is there a licensing or permit system in County Meath for roadside or street traders? If so, what are the terms and conditions? How do they compare to rate paying businesses? Has there ever been a review of the permit system? Is public liability insurance and other food safety certification enforced? The question does not include beaches, this is specifically those I know of in South Meath that are directly competing with rate paying businesses and include street fish sales in Ratoath, bedding plant sales, coffee and food sales, fresh fruit and juice sales as well as ice cream sales in Ashbourne.”
Response: The Casual Trading Act 1995 applies nationally, and required County Councils and Town Councils to adopt bye-laws in relation to Casual Trading. The Act only applies to public lands and roads - private lands and car parks are exempt. Meath County Council adopted Casual Trading Bye-Laws following enactment of the Casual Trading Act in 1995. (Presentations were previously given to the Environment Spc regarding same.) These refer to allocated bays in Oldcastle, Athboy and Laytown/Bettystown only. Under Meath Bye-Laws traders must hold insurance and indemnify Meath County Council. The Bye-laws set out the terms and conditions by which traders must adhere. Navan Town Council separately adopted Bye-laws in relation to same which refer to the Fair Green. The current Casual Trading Act is under review and the Dept Jobs and Enterprise are currently drafting a new bill which will require all authorised bodies to create new bye laws. Prior to adopting new Bye-laws, we await enactment of same which we understand will have a massive impact on the bye-laws, the allocation of bays, and how the administration of Casual Trading area is to be set and will bring Casual Trading into compliance with the EU Services Directive. Food Safety Certification is a matter for the Environmental Health office of the HSE. Mobile food outlets such as ice cream vans and frozen fish vans that travel around estates are generally exempt under the ACT as they would qualify as door to door sellers.
The following exemptions apply to the Act.
• Selling by Auction
• Charitable or non-profit
• Door to door exempt
• 1 May to 30 September - Seasonal fruit & vegetable – (Casual Trading Act 2004 exempted strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, gooseberries, blackberries, loganberries, tayberries, currants, and potatoes having loose skins and which have been harvested prior to maturity).
The response was noted. Reference was made to the new Casual Trading Bye-Laws due from the Department. It was agreed to request information from the Environment Section on introducing Intoxicating Liquor Bye-Laws and refer the issue of enforcement of parking on cycle lanes to the Transportation Department.
Notice of Motion 7.1 Submitted by Councillor Alan Tobin “Can Meath County Council arrange to meet local volunteers from Gormanston and local Elected Representatives and visit the three access points onto Gormanston beach with the following aims: 1) To deter the abandonment of vehicles; 2) To come up with a solution regarding what vehicles can access the beach; 3) To eliminate illegal dumping; 4) To promote a "leave no trace" policy; 5) To enhance wildlife conservation and combat erosion through natural methods?”
Supporting information subject to the motion being proposed, seconded and considered: The Transportation Department can arrange a meeting between Local Representatives and Meath County Council staff to include the Environment Section in relation to the dumping issues and the abandonment of vehicles, the Heritage Officer in relation to wildlife conservation and the Municipal District Engineer to address the access issues. Please arrange to forward the contact details of the local residents who have volunteered, to Transportation and we will work on scheduling this. The motion was proposed by Councillor Alan Tobin and seconded by Councillor Claire O’Driscoll. Following a short discussion, it was agreed that the residents group and the motocross club would be invited to make a presentation to a meeting of Ashbourne Municipal District and that site visits could follow if required. The motion was adopted.
7.2 Submitted by Councillor Alan Tobin “That Ashbourne Municipal District Councillors will accept and welcome Minister Coveney's housing proposal on the Department of Education & Skills lands in Kilegland West if it includes space for a public park, publicly owned playing pitches for schools and public use, as well as housing, which must specifically include housing for the elderly, and that if this motion is adopted, that a letter will be written to the Minister on behalf of all Municipal District Councillors or those that supported the motion.”
Supporting information subject to the motion being proposed, seconded and considered: Under the Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing & Homeless, a priority measure was the identification of state owned lands for the purposes of social housing. To this end, the Department of Education & Skills site in Ashbourne has been identified through this process, and Meath County Council has formally confirmed our requirement for this site, and requested that said lands should be transferred to the Housing Authority, given the high demand for social housing in the Ashbourne area. It should also be noted that the future needs of the Department of Education & Skills, with regard to education facilities will also be taken into account, which will influence the amount of land available for housing, and indeed any other purpose, on this site. In respect to the house types to be included within a social housing scheme, this is ultimately influenced by an analysis of the housing waiting list for the area concerned, but is particularly mindful of the housing needs of older persons and persons with a disability. The motion was proposed by Councillor Alan Tobin and seconded by Councillor Seán Smith. A discussion followed which referred to the need for social housing, the government priorities in this regard, the legacy issues with regard to green space provision in Ashbourne. An amended motion was proposed by Councillor Alan Tobin and seconded by Councillor Seán Smith as follows: “That Ashbourne Municipal District Councillors will write a letter seeking a meeting with Minister Coveney and Deputies English, Doherty, McEntee and Byrne regarding the housing proposal on the Department of Education & Skills lands in Killegland West and other issues of significant concern to the local community and that, in recognising the urgency of the situation, request that this meeting take place as soon as possible.” The amended motion was adopted.
June 2017
6 Notice of Question 6.1 Submitted by Councillor Alan “Can I ask if a preferred option has been selected for the pedestrian access in Deerpark? If not, may we see the options available and select one at the June meeting?”
Response: The area of Deerpark referred to is included in Zones 6 and 7 of the Ashbourne Linear Park and consultants for these sections of the Park will be appointed in the coming days. As part of their brief they will be required to design a suitable access barrier to allow continued vehicular access for those who require it (Irish Water and Meath County Council staff) but restrict all other access to pedestrians. There will be further consultation with the residents and Elected Members on the proposed scheme prior to commencing the Part VIII process. The response was noted. Councillor Alan Tobin requested that a pedestrian access be delivered as soon as possible and before the Part 8 process is completed.
7.2 Submitted by Councillor Alan Tobin “To ask Meath County Council to utilise a one acre site on Hunter's lane for a designated park & ride and overflow parking area as part of an integrated public transport system and to improve road, cyclist and pedestrian safety on Hunter's Lane. This land is designated as being on a flood plain and is not suitable for building on.”
Supporting information subject to the motion being proposed, seconded and considered: The NTA are currently looking at a strategy for a Park and Ride facility for the county and Meath County Council will make them aware of this location. The motion was proposed by Councillor Alan Tobin and seconded by Councillor Suzanne Jamal. A short discussion followed on the need for a park & ride facility to deal with illegal parking, the need for such a facility to be close to bus stops, the alternative uses proposed for this site, including a scouts den, museum, etc. The motion was noted.
7.3 Submitted by Councillor Alan Tobin “I call for a replacement of the 4 Jobsbridge workers with 4 full time outdoor staff as soon as possible to help with basic services in the Ashbourne district.”
Supporting information subject to the motion being proposed, seconded and considered: The human resource requirement for Meath County Council is driven by the workforce planning process. The Council continually reviews staffing requirements at all levels and grades on an ongoing basis with reference to overall budgetary implications and requirements. Cognisance is being taken of the cessation of the Gateway scheme in terms of the allocation of available core staff resources across the county. Since March of this year three additional full-time outdoor grade staff (a General Services Supervisor and two General Operatives) have been assigned to the Ashbourne Municipal District. It is noted and appreciated that the Gateway scheme part-time staff have carried out a valuable service for the Council and the community. This work has, in the main, been additional to the Council’s normal work programme. The review of this work is ongoing and the methodology by which same may be completed is being considered. The three recent additional core staff resources will assist with this. The motion was proposed by Councillor Alan Tobin and seconded by Councillor Darren O’Rourke. A short discussion followed on the additional resources allocated to Ashbourne Municipal District, the labour saving initiatives being used, such as the Big Belly Bins and other efficiencies. The motion was noted.
MEATH COUNTY COUNCIL MEETINGS
April 2017
9 Notice of Motion 9.1 Submitted by Councillor Alan Tobin “That Meath County Council stipulates that native hedgerows are preserved, where practical, around property boundaries in new planning applications.”
Supporting Information subject to the motion being proposed, seconded and considered. It is the policy of Meath County Council, as stated in the Meath County Development Plan 2013-2019 under NH POL 13, to encourage the retention of hedgerows and other distinctive boundary treatments in rural areas and prevent loss and fragmentation, where possible. Where removal of a hedgerow, stone wall or other distinctive boundary treatment is unavoidable, mitigation by provision of the type of boundary will be required. The motion, proposed by Councillor Alan Tobin and seconded by Councillor Gerry O’ Connor, was unanimously adopted.
May 2017
9.2 Submitted by Councillor Alan Tobin “To ask Meath County Council and all Councillors to endorse and support the proposed National Hunt Museum in Ashbourne.”
Supporting Information subject to the motion being proposed, seconded and considered. It is noted that a presentation was made on this matter at the March meeting of the Ashbourne Municipal District. Meath County Council would welcome any such proposal that would complement existing tourist attractions, increase economic activity and bring more visitors to the County. The Council looks forward to receiving more detailed information on the matter in due course. The motion was proposed by Councillor Alan Tobin and seconded by Councillor Paddy Meade. Following a debate on the matter, and subject to the supporting information, the principle of the motion was unanimously adopted.
June 2017
8.3 Submitted by Councillor Alan Tobin Were the previous bills for commercial customers of Meath County Council for the supply of water into the premises only or did they include waste water? If not have commercial water customers seen a doubling of their bills?”
Response: The composition of each bill issued by Meath County Council in relation to commercial water charges depended on the services availed of by the customer in question. Charges for waste water would only have been charged on a water bill if the customer used this service. The breakdown of the charges applied to each customer was displayed on every bill issued. Since July 2016, Irish Water has taken over the responsibility of issuing commercial water bills, they are applying the same charging structure that Meath County Council used and also display the breakdown on their bills. If there are any specific issue you may have they can be contacted via email at localrepsupport@water.ie.” Noted by the Councillors.
9.9 Submitted by Councillor Alan Tobin “The Council calls on the Government, as a matter of urgency, to clearly ask the Chinese Government to lift the ban on Falun Gong and a release of all Falun Gong practitioners from detention in China.”
The motion, proposed by Councillor Alan Tobin and seconded by Councillor Claire O’ Driscoll, was unanimously adopted.
9.12 Submitted by Councillor Alan Tobin “In light of an alarming increase in both burglary and theft in Meath compared to 2016, I call on this Council to write to the Minister for Justice asking to immediately increase Garda numbers and resources in all 3 divisions in the County (Ashbourne, Navan and Kells) and that if these resources are not forthcoming or available, that the Defence Forces Army Rangers wing is brought in as an additional resource for night time patrol and check point duty.”
The motion was proposed by Councillor Alan Tobin and seconded by Councillor Suzanne Jamal. Councillor Tobin advised that he wished to amend his motion by removing the wording ‘and that if these resources are not forthcoming or available, that the Defence Forces Army Rangers wing is brought in as an additional resource for night time patrol and check point duty’ and including the words ‘4 divisions in the county’ instead of ‘3 divisions’ The amended motion as outlined below was unanimously adopted. “In light of an alarming increase in both burglary and theft in Meath compared to 2016, I call on this Council to write to the Minister for Justice asking to immediately increase Garda numbers and resources in all 4 divisions in the County”.
