Kildare County Council

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Celbridge Area Meeting

Minutes of Meeting

held at 2.40 p.m. on Wednesday 17 February 2010

At Áras Chill Dara, Naas

Members Present: Councillors C Murphy (An Cathaoirleach), T Byrne, S Griffin, P Kelly, J McGinley, K Byrne and C Purcell.

Also Present: Mr G. Perry (A/Director of Services), Ms S. Kavanagh (S.E.O.) Mr. S. Wallace (Parks Superintendent)

Mr L. Dunne (S.E.O.) Mr D. Kenny (Deputy Project Manager) Mr A. Dunney (S.E.E),Ms P. Penny (A.S.O.) Mr C Talbot

(Meetings Administrator), Ms. S Rice (Secretary).

CE 01/02/2010

Minutes and Progress Report

The committee considered the minutes of the monthly meeting held on 14 January 2010. Resolved on the proposal of Councillor McGinley and seconded by Councillor Purcell, that the minutes be confirmed and taken as read.

Deteriorating speed cushions, Straffan and Celbridge road, Maynooth

Councillor McGinley asked that during the repairs of the ramps at the Church and public house in Straffan that a gap be left at the side of each ramp to allow rainwater to flow down the road instead of flooding occurring on the footpath. An Cathaoirleach also requested an update in relation to the materials and methods used by the contractors who install the speed ramps throughout the county.

Provision of a pedestrian controlled crossing at Station Road, Leixlip

The members agreed to give €8300.00 each from their discretionary funds to provide the

pedestrian controlled crossing at Station Road, Leixlip

Left turning lane for exit from Greenfield estate, Maynooth

Councillor McGinley asked that the chief technician, roads design meet with him at this location as soon as possible to discuss this issue, he also asked if this left turning could be implemented as a condition of planning permission on Planning ref 10/51 if permission is granted at this same location. Councillor McGinley requested that the meeting take place on site as soon as possible and that the a member of staff from the traffic management section contact him as soon as possible.

Road safety improvement for Celbridge Road, Maynooth

Councillor McGinley asked that a staff member from the traffic management section contact him and meet with him at this location as soon as possible.

Draft Plan for Provision of footpaths and public lighting, Celbridge

A draft plan was circulated at the meeting detailing proposed plan of works if funding was available. An Cathaoirleach asked that the members be furnished with a comprehensive report in relation to the cost of these works, report to include estimated cost of land acquisition etc.

Pot holes at parking area beside Aghards school, Celbridge

Councillor Kevin Byrne asked that the council repair the potholes on the road outside the school and that they also assist in repairing the potholes in the parking area.

New road at Old Greenfield, Maynooth

The members requested that a meeting take place on at 11.30 a.m 22 February with staff from planning and roads to discuss this matter.

Castlewarden to Ballygoran Pipeline

An Cathaoirleach asked when the pipeline would be operational and how it would be funded, Councillor Griffin asked that local residents be informed that there could be some disruption in relation to the construction of the pipeline and that they be consulted prior to commencement of such works. The members also requested that a senior member of staff from water services attend the March meeting to discuss this item.

Update on Proposals for Allotments in Wonderful Barn and Black Lion Maynooth

Councillor McGinley suggested that water butts be made available to allotment holders to assist in the supply of water for their allotments, this would eliminate the need for a water connection on site and eliminate water rates.

Development levies for community facilities in Celbridge electoral area

An Cathaoirleach asked what the exact meaning/facility of Broadband €16,667, as reported at the meeting was.

CE 02/02/2010

Road upgrade on the Confey Road

The committee considered the following adjourned motion in the name of Councillor Murphy:

In the absence of funds to do a major road upgrade on the Confey Road we seek modification such as moving the 50 km speed limit up to Gaffney’s house and provide ramps from the graveyard to past the junction.

It was reported that the existing road layout was deficient in alignment and public lighting and therefore it was not recommended traffic calming be installed at this location and that there was an existing 50kph speed limit at this location.

Resolved: That report be noted

CE03/02/2010

DTO for funding to implement traffic management studies

The committee considered the following adjourned motion in the name of Councillor Murphy:

Is there scope to apply to the DTO for funding to implement traffic management studies, such as the one carried out in Celbridge and the one due to be done for Leixlip which the DTO have provided €100,000 to do. If so what is the title and scope of the DTO scheme?

The roads department reported that an application had been made to the National Transport Authority for funding for the implementation works associated with the draft traffic management plans completed within County Kildare, including Celbridge. Funding for these projects are usually provided under the Traffic Management Grant Scheme.

Resolved: That report be noted

CE04/02/2010

Flooding at Hazelhatch Railway Station

The committee considered the following adjourned motion in the name of Councillor Byrne:

To ask Kildare Co Council what action they intend taking to prevent a re-occurrence of the flooding at Hazelhatch Railway Station and other areas near there and if a report on this matter would be provided for the next meeting?

It was reported that Kildare County Council had written to Irish Rail in relation to this item and at the time of drafting of this report a reply to the correspondence had not been received. The members would be informed of any progress on this matter.

Resolved: That report be noted.

CE05/02/2010

Road safety measures on Rail Park Road, Maynooth

The committee considered the following motion in the name of Councillor McGinley:

That the following safety measure be carried out on the Railpark road linking Pikes Bridge with the Celbridge Road, Maynooth:

(a) That the Gardai be asked enforce the 60km/h speed limit

(b) That the "Local Traffic Only" sign be put back in place at the Celbridge Road entrance

(d) That signs be erected stating that the road is prone to black ice

(e) That banking be removed at the narrowest sections of the road so that at least pedestrians would be able to step in to avoid be mowed down.

The roads department reported that (a) they would write to the Gardai on behalf of the members seeking their assistance in this matter.

(b) & (c) Erecting such signs would not seem to be of value as they are not enforceable. Motorists have an expectation that they could use all public roads. Furthermore, in the current economic climate there was no funding available to carry out any works in this area.

(d) Roads not on the salting routes are liable to frost. It was not the policy of the area office to erect such signs for any particular road.

(e) The “banks” were required to protect the boundaries of the road. If they were removed then vehicles would drive on the widened area. The area office also suggested that local landowners and householders would object to traffic moving nearer to their boundaries.

Councillor McGinley reported that this road was being used as a “rat run” and asked that

The roads department write to the gardaí in relation to this issue. Councillor Griffin reported that cars have often ended up in residents gardens due to excessive speed and the bad bends on this road.

Resolved: That the roads department write to the gardai in relation to the members concerns.

CE06/02/2010

HGV ban for Straffan Village

The committee considered the following motion in the name of Councillor McGinley:

That through traffic HGV's be banned from Straffan Village.

The roads department reported that order to ascertain the need for a HGV ban it was suggested that a traffic count be carried out in and around the village. These counts could be carried out and a report prepared for the March Meeting. Councillor McGinley asked that the count be done over a 24 hour period as a large number of hgvs travel through the village during the night.

Resolved: That a traffic count be done in Straffan village, to include 24 hours a day.

CE07/02/2010

Reinstatement of public lighting in Parsons Hall, Maynooth

The committee considered the following motion in the name of Councillor McGinley:

That the two public lights that were removed from opposite house number 3 Parsons Hall and at Barton's, Pound Lane, Maynooth be put back in place without any further delay.

The roads department reported that all requests for repairs or replacement of public lights could be sent by Councillors or members of the public to publiclights@kildarecoco.ie. As the Committee would be aware Airtricity was the new maintenance contractor for public lighting. There was a significant backlog of repair work, which arose as a result of the changeover from the different maintenance suppliers. A priority list of "street lights out" had been sent to Airtricity for repair and the replacement of poles, involving more extensive work, is as a consequence delayed. The issue raised by Councillor McGinley had been reported to Airtricity and the TMC staff would follow up the repair with the contractor. Ms Kavanagh advised people to contact the roads department if the fault that they had reported had not been repaired within the agreed 10 day period.

Resolved: That report be noted

CE08/02/2010

Footpath repairs at end of cul de sac in The Oaks, Castletown,Celbridge

The committee considered the following motion in the name of Councillor Byrne:

That the section of footpath near the end of the cul-de-sac at The Oaks, Castletown, Celbridge which is cracked, ravelled and dangerous be repaired as soon as possible.

The roads department reported that there was no funding for these repairs. If funding was made available then the repairs could be undertaken. Councillor Kevin Byrne asked for a costing for the required works for the March meeting.

Resolved: That a report on the estimated cost for the above works be prepared for the March meeting.

CE09/02/2010

Repair of wall at river Liffey on Ardclough Road, Celbridge

The committee considered the following motion in the name of Councillor Byrne:

That Kildare County Council examine the wall between the river Liffey and the road on the Ardclough Road, Celbridge between the Abbey Hall and the metal footbridge where the local tidy town members report part of the wall falling into the river and in danger of collapsing.

The roads department reported that the area office had requested a masonry contractor to examine this wall and he reported that the wall was not in a bad state of repair and in no imminent danger. However if funding was available the trees and bushes that were growing from the wall on the Liffey edge could be removed. A single stone that is missing at one location would be replaced as soon as possible. The members requested a costing for the tree and bush removal for the March meeting.

Resolved: That a report on the estimated cost for the above works be prepared for the March meeting.

CE10/02/2010

Repair of wall at river Liffey on Ardclough Road, Celbridge

The committee considered the following motion in the name of Councillor Murphy:

Kildare County Council arrange to do an assessment on the Liffey wall on the Ardclough Road, Celbridge. The wall was recently exposed when vegetation was removed as park of a tidy towns project. In considering the integrity of this structure that the Council also considers the impact, if any, should a boardwalk be provided there.

Resolved: See Item 09/02/2010 for report.

CE11/02/2010

Plan for pothole repairs in Celbridge electoral area

The committee considered the following motion in the name of Councillor Griffin:

That the area committee be provided with a plan for the restoration of potholed roads in the Celbridge area.

The roads department reported that due to the nature of the occurrence of potholes, they were attended to as soon as it was practical and also depending on how dangerous they were for motorists viz. type of road and number of vehicles etc. Our crews had been reduced in numbers so attending to potholes generally means leaving our planned work to a standstill. Councillor Griffin stated that funding allocated to the council was not really available to carryout such repairs.

Resolved: That report be noted.

CE12/02/2010

Damaged public lights at the Barberstown Castle roundabout, Clane Road

The committee considered the following motion in the name of Councillor Griffin:

That airtricity be instructed to repair the two damaged public lights at the Barberstown roundabout (Clane road approach).

The roads department reported that these public lighting faults had been reported to Airtricity for repair. As indicated previously all requests for repairs or replacement of public lights could be sent by councillors or members of the public to publiclights@kildarecoco.ie . Any faults reported are logged with Airtricity on a daily basis.

Resolved: That report be noted.

CE13/02/2010

Provision of wooden bollards on green at entrance to The Grove estate

The committee considered the following motion in the name of Councillor Byrne:

To ask the council to give a costing for the provision of wooden bollards on the edge of the green from the entrance to The Grove estate on the left hand side to the boundary of Grove house. This is to prevent youths driving cars on to the green area.

It was reported that bollards for this area would cost approximately €5,000 and that in the current economic climate this was not an urgent matter. Also the green area could be accessed from the entrance to the Grove House. Councillor K Byrne was unhappy with the report and asked that the roads department re-investigate this matter with the intention of installing the required bollards on the green.

Resolved: that the roads department re-investigate this matter with the intention of installing the required bollards on the green.

CE14/02/2010

Provision of Pelican Crossing facility at Dublin Road/Doctor’s Lane, Maynooth

The committee considered the following motion in the name of Councillor McGinley:

When is the Pelican Crossing facility being installed at the junction of Dublin Road/Doctor’s Lane, Maynooth, as specified in WSP Drawing No. TMD-003?

The roads department reported that the drawing referred to by the councillor formed part of the draft Maynooth Traffic Management Plan. A date for the beginning of the Part 8 Public Consultation process had not been agreed between the area committee and senior officials. No implementation works should be considered in advance of the public consultation process. The members asked that the draft Maynooth Traffic Management Plan be discussed at the March meeting.

Resolved: that the draft Maynooth Traffic Management Plan be discussed at the March meeting.

CE15/02/2010

Parking of commercial vehicles in housing estates

The committee considered the following motion in the name of Councillor Griffin:

In residential estates where inconsiderate (possibly illegal) parking of commercial vehicles is taking place, Is it possible that where proof is available, that the council demand the company involved be required to finance restoration of the grass margins?

It was reported that the council’s own traffic/litter wardens would follow up this type of parking and costs associated with inappropriate/illegal parking could be sought through recoupable works. However, it was usually the case that commercial vehicles were parked in residential areas in the evening or at weekends which were outside the working hours of this Council’s litter/traffic wardens. Ms Kavanagh asked that Councillor Griffin meet her after the meeting to discuss this matter further.

Resolved: That Ms Kavanagh would speak to Councillor Griffin in relation to this item.

CE16/02/2010

Development levies currently available for community facilities

The committee considered the following adjourned motion in the name of Councillor Murphy

What development levies are currently available for community facilities in the Celbridge Electoral Area, how much is outstanding and being pursued?

It was reported that Development levies were spent in accordance with the three year Capital Programme, as brought to the Council each year. The 2010-2012 Capital Programme was issued in December 2009. In the 2010-2012 Capital Programme, Appendix II the Statement of Development Contributions shows the amount of levies collected and to which projects they relate to. On the 2010-2012 Capital Programme App II, the amount collected under:

Celbridge electoral area community and enterprise Levies from Mar 04 - Nov 09 was €272,927 and this has been assigned by the community and enterprise department to the following projects:

1. Broadband €16,667

2. Celbridge Community Facilities €105,395

3. Maynooth Community Facilities €150,866

Celbridge electoral area recreation and amenities levies from Mar 04 - Nov 09 was €1,547,504 and this has been assigned by the Recreation & Amenities Department to the following projects:

1. Burial Ground Provision € 79,077

2. Celbridge Playground €327,256

3. Wilowbrook Landscaping €150,000

4. Celbridge Area Recreational Development €391,835

5. Open Space Strategy € 10,850

6. Municipal Fund € 50,000

7. Leixlip Amenity Centre €354,082

8. Liffey Valley strategy € 34,404

9. Shackleton Roundabout Landscaping € 50,000

10.North Kildare Pool €100,000

The Department of Environment in 2009 stated that only the amount of levies collected in the year 2009 could be spent in 2009. The amount of levies collected in the period Jan 09-Nov 09 for Celbridge electoral area Community & Enterprise Levies was €24,738 and Celbridge electoral area Recreation & Amenities Levies was €160,267.The amounts outstanding and actively pursued by the development contributions section for the Celbridge electoral area are as follows:

Community: €135,546.77

Recreation & Amenity: €812,032.08

An Cathaoirleach queried the Broadband figure and asked what it involved and that the planning department report on this matter for the March meeting.

Resolved: That the planning department give a detailed report on the Broadband levies and what they are for the March meeting.

CE17/02/2010

Pedestrian access from Tesco to Shackleton road, Celbridge

The committee considered the following motion in the name of Councillor Byrne:

To ask the council if they would agree to Tesco Celbridge making a pedestrian gap in their boundary wall to allow access between their car park and the post box on the Shackleton road side?

The roads department reported that any such proposal would require the submission of a planning application which would be assessed on its merits.

Resolved: That report be noted.

CE18/02/2010

Licensing of land at Willowbrook and Carton Avenue

To receive report on licensing of land at Willowbrook and Carton Avenue.

It was reported that it was not proposed to allow Ballymakeally Colts to use the open space in Willowbrook for training purposes as a result of consultation with local residents. It was therefore proposed to allow the club to use Carton Avenue on an annual licensed basis and that the club facilitate Maynooth FC to also use the pitch outside of the match and training times. An Cathaoirleach reported separately that there was broken glass outside the playground at Willowbrook and asked that this be investigated and cleaned up as soon as possible.

Resolved: That broken glass outside playground in Willowbrook be removed as soon as possible.

CE19/02/2010

Wonderful Barn

The committee considered the following motion in the name of Councillor Murphy:

Have further discussions taken place with the Landmark Trust and other interested organizations in relation to the Wonderful Barn, if so, is there any update?

Mr Dave Kenny of the housing section presented a detailed report to the members in relation to the best way forward on this issue, and attempts to address the issue of anti-social activity associated with some of the backlots and open spaces: he stated that the initiative should be led by the Castletown residents and where appropriate supported by the council in the discharge of it’s statutory functions. He said he would update the members further at the March meeting.

Resolved: That a further report be presented to the members at the March meeting.

CE20/02/2010

Backlots, Castletown,Celbridge

The committee considered the following motion in the name of Councillor Murphy:

Can we set a date to visit the internal backlots in Castletown, Celbridge?

Mr Dave Kenny of the housing section gave a report on this item and agreed to meet the members on site within the following weeks, he stressed that the council would engage with this process however the residents must also be involved.

Resolved: That Mr Kenny meet with the members on site to progress this item further.

CE21/02/2010

Tesco Unit, Maynooth

The committee considered the following motion in the name of Councillor Murphy.

Can we have an update on the Tesco Unit in Maynooth?

It was reported that agreements with Tesco and the lease of Manor Mills premises were being finalised by council solicitors. Kildare Leader Partnership were drafting an outline of the community needs research process and would be presented this at the March Meeting.

An Cathaoirleach asked if both surveys had taken place and if not when would they take place, she also asked if Kildare Leader Partnership would attend the next meeting.

Resolved: That the community and enterprise section investigate An Cathaoirleachs queries and report back to the March meeting.

CE22/02/2010

Upgrading of houses in Old Greenfield, Maynooth

The committee considered the following motion in the name of Councillor Griffin.

What is the current status of the upgrading of houses in Old Greenfield, Maynooth? i.e. completion date?

The housing department reported that 16 houses had been upgraded under this scheme which included new windows and doors where appropriate, cavity wall insulation, new boilers and heating controls, air tightness works in addition to general building and repair works.

All works were scheduled to be completed by Friday 26 February 2010.

Resolved: That report be noted.

CE23/02/2010

Celbridge Pump station

The committee considered the following motion in the name of Councillor Murphy.

That we are given a comprehensive report on the proposals for improvement and or replacement of the Celbridge Pump station with details of capacity and delivery date.

The water services department reported that Castletown Pumping Station which serves the Celbridge and Straffan catchments was currently being upgraded as part of the Lower Liffey Valley Regional Sewerage Scheme.

The principal works involved in the upgrade were:

o Building of a Storm Tank

o Replacement of Existing Pumps

o Demolition of existing Pumping Station building

Currently there was no storm tank at Castletown Pumping Station. The proposed storm tank was sized using a hydraulic model. In addition to future projected flows it takes into account likely increased rainfall due to climate change.

The new pumps were technologically advanced and would be able to handle flows approximately 3 times the future projected normal flows coming into the pumping station. Flows beyond that level would be handled by the storm tank.

The new pumps were designed to be much less likely to block than the existing pumps and the provision of inlet screening and a standby generator was included in the project. The civil works were substantially complete and the mechanical and electrical works were about to commence. The entire project is scheduled to be commissioned in July. All in all, therefore, while there were some difficulties in the past, problems were now unlikely to arise in the future. The members asked whether an alarm would be fitted on the storm tank house.

Resolved: That the water services department inform the members if an alarm would be fitted on the storm tank house.

CE24/02/2010

Leixlip Waste Water Treatment Plant

The committee considered the following motion in the name of Councillor Murphy.

We seek a report on the upgrade to the Leixlip Waste Water Treatment Plant, when will the work be fully complete, is it within budget, if there are overruns what are the extent of these, what reinstatement works remain outstanding, what is the new capacity of the system and the finite level of the river Liffey?

The water services department reported that the works on the Lower Liffey Valley Regional Sewerage Scheme were at an advanced stage and that the civil and sewer rehabilitation contracts were scheduled to be complete in May and the mechanical and electrical contract was scheduled to be complete in August. The contracts were currently on budget. It was proposed to offset any extra items with omitted items which turned out not to be necessary.

The remaining reinstatement works are:

o Reinstatement of works currently in progress in Kilcock.

o Reinstatement of Pound Park, Small Pound and green area and sections on road at gate to Maynooth College.

o Permanent road reinstatement in areas where sewers were installed by open cut methods. Note that road reinstatement is a two stage process - immediate temporary reinstatement and permanent reinstatement approximately 6 months after temporary reinstatement.

o Reinstatement works in the immediate vicinity of the various pumping stations.

The current capacity of Leixlip Wastewater Treatment Works was 80,000 PE (Population Equivalent).

Draft contract documents have been prepared for the upgrade of the wastewater treatment works to 150,000 PE. Leixlip Wastewater Treatment Works was included in the Kildare County Council water services needs assessment 2009. However it should be noted that there was still spare capacity in the existing wastewater treatment works. Councillor McGinley asked that all works be completed before June before judging for the Tidy Towns takes place.

Resolved: Councillor McGinley asked that all reinstatement works be completed before June before judging for the Tidy Towns takes place.

CE25/02/2010

Stop valves

The committee considered the following motion in the name of Councillor Griffin:

.The recent severe weather conditions created serious water problems for a huge number of homeowners. The vast majority seem to be associated with stop valves which were incorrectly fitted. All of these valves are out on the public footpath. To correct the problem permission will have to be sought from council to lower the valves. Now that council are aware of the estates and houses affected I propose that Kildare County Council provide the required assistance.

The water services department reported that in the building boom of the 1970s many developers installed stopcocks just under the ground. On any night of frost there was a danger of the metal freezing and cutting off the supply to the house until the stopcock thaws. From the early 1980s the development control department ensured the laying of house service pipes and stopcocks were at sufficient depths to prevent freezing. This was checked at the time of footpath construction and taking in charge.

Up to 2001, the old 1970 estates continued to be a problem. The water services department had a frozen stopcock project to eliminate the known blackspots. During cold spells since then the council have carefully monitored all reports of frozen stopcocks and no obvious pattern had emerged. The duration of the cold spell of January 2010, the near record low temperatures and the absence of a daytime thaw left many premises without water. Undoubtedly some of these were as a result of frozen stopcocks and services which may not have been the required depth below ground level.

In many instances, packing the stopcock chamber with non absorbent insulating material could prevent it freezing in future. In some cases, lowering the stopcock was required and this alone may not solve the problem and unless the householder was prepared to dig up the entire run of the service and insulate or lower the pipe they would continue to be at the mercy of extreme weather. It should be noted that the events associated with the recent cold spell show no obvious trend - location of problem housing estates. Indeed, it was not fully established if water interruptions were due to private house plumbing or external pipes not fully insulated. Therefore, it was not proposed to carry out a countywide frozen stopcock project at huge cost to cater for such extreme weather events.

However, Kildare County Council would be available to give the necessary advice to its consumers in such matters and process any footpath openings permits that may be required to carry out all necessary civil works deemed necessary. The members were all in agreement that the householder should not be responsible for the cost of lowering of pipes and Councillor Griffin asked that the council write to the government asking them to provide funding for a pilot scheme in the county to complete such works he also asked that some of his discretionary funds be used to fund this. The administrator stated that the council would be unable to fund such a scheme but agreed that the government should be involved, he also stated that this item would be discussed at the next meeting of Kildare County Council and asked the members to await the outcome of that meeting before writing the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

Resolved: That report be noted.

CE26/02/2010

Parking Area, Donacomper Cemetery

The committee considered the following motion in the name of Councillor Byrne:

That the area in front of Donaghcomper cemetery that was provided for mourners at funerals and those visiting graves of loved ones be marked out in parking bays and that a sign be erected prohibiting parking by HGV’s and that any advertising signs placed there be removed and confiscated.

The environmental department reported that they would have the area examined and would (a) have the lining works costed.

(b) investigate provision of HGV sign.

Councillor K. Byrne asked that a costing for the above works be presented to the March meeting.

Resolved: Councillor K Byrne asked that a costing for the above works be presented to the March meeting.

CE27/02/2010

Trading Bye-laws

The committee considered the following motion in the name of Councillor Byrne:

To ask the council to inform members to the regulations/laws governing street trading/roadside trading, as to what licences/permissions are required if these licences cover the county only or are confined to a specific site or if in the case of Celbridge by-laws are required to regulate this trade.

The meetings administrator gave a brief description of how trading bye-laws work and are regulated, he stated that at present there are no by-laws in place for the Celbridge area, therefore people are free to trade on the street, however he advised that people would contact their local Garda station if a person wishes to trade on the street. Councillor Byrne asked when bye-laws would be put in place as the current situation was unfair to local shopkeepers who are liable for rent, water rates etc. The administrator was unable to give a timeframe for this due to a current High Court case in relation to trading bye-laws.

Resolved: That report be noted.

CE28/02/2010

Other business

Celbridge Playground

Mr Wallace of the Parks department attended the meeting to give a progress report on the Celbridge Playground, he gave the following report:

Further to previous reports regarding Celbridge Playground and antisocial behaviour a meeting was held with the Celbridge Area Committee and Celbridge Gardai. As a result of this it was proposed to investigate the following range of actions to address the issues relating to the playground and facilities for teenagers in Celbridge. These were:

(a) Invite Celbridge Community Council to discuss the issue of the playground and investigate possible locations for the provision of additional play facilities/ teen facilities.

(b) Investigate the implementation of bye laws to assist in the policing of the playground.

(c) Investigate the further development of recreational facilities within Willowbrook Park open space and the open spaces of the adjoining estates. This would consider the provision of additional play and recreational facilities which would encourage more use of the Willowbrook open space and the development of possible Teen Zone( s).

(d) Investigate the development of a panel of volunteers to assist in the opening and closing of the playground in conjunction with Kildare County Council.

It was proposed to work on the implementation of these objectives in the coming months beginning with a meeting with Celbridge Community Council. A report on progress in relation to these objectives will be issued to the next area committee meeting.

An Cathaoirleach asked that the residents of the estates that are directly effected by the antisocial behaviour should be consulted about any possible solutions that were being considered.

Resolved: That a further report be presented to the members at the March meeting.

The meeting concluded.