'Death trap' roundabout work to begin in New Year

NAAS, 8 December 2000: by Brian Byrne. Work on a new roundabout at the east end of Monread Road could begin early in the New Year. The project will include access from Fishery Lane (above), and will be designed to ease what has been described as a ‘death trap’ as the situation stands.

Discussions between Naas UDC officials and the National Roads Authority are ‘well advanced’ on the matter of the roundabout, and the situation is considered so urgent that it is not going to be held back until the proposed major improvements to the Naas Road. It is perhaps coincidence that the NRA is moving its HQ to Naas to the new office buildings (left) opposite Fishery Lane.

Naas town clerk Declan Kiranne appraised councillors of the progress during a discussion on the dangers now being reported by residents of the Monread Road, a situation which in many ways mirrors the problems of Sallins Road residents with increased traffic from the housing and industrial development of the area.

That discussion stemmed from a request by Cllr Pat McCarthy that new signs be placed at the new roundabout on the west end of the Monread Road, directing all traffic other than that needing to go to Naas centre to use the Monread Road. Cllr Charlie Byrne raised the problems of the Monread Road residents.

“Somebody will be killed at Donnely Mirrors,” he said. “If Kildare County Council had a brain in their heads, they’d put in slip roads to the motorway at the Sallins Road bridge.”

Cllr Seamie Moore (right) said the council should be considering putting up the ‘most difficult’ traffic calming measures on the Sallins Road. “These should be designed to make it not worth the while for large vehicle drivers to go down the Sallins Road,” he said, adding that he considered the private bus service in Naas to also be part of his plan. “Of course we appreciate the service, but the buses used are far too big for the numbers of people you see on board.”

Hydrological Survey follows flooding

MAYNOOTH, 8 December 2000: by Bill Trapman. The most recent flooding has prompted the need for a Hydrology Survey on the affected areas of Maynooth which could take up to 9 months to complete.

At the recent Area Meeting of councillors, a comprehensive discussion took place on the flooding issue in the Leixlip Electoral Area at which the County Engineer outlined what was intended to minimise the possibility of flooding reccurring. He told the meeting he has been in contact with Wallinford Research Centre in England and had now requested HGL O’Connor (Consultants on the Rathcoffey Road) to do a brief.

"It seems clear that the issue has to be considered in a very comprehensive way including requesting Nicholas O’Dwyer & Partners who produced a report during design stage of the Motorway, the County Engineer has requested them to update that report," Cllr Catherine Murphy (right) said afterwards.

The estimated cost of the project would be in the order of £3 million and Kildare County Council will be seeking these funds from the NRA and the Department of the Environment.

Storage of sand and sand bags, preventative maintenance such as cleaning shores, and traffic management as it relates to the Major Emergency Plan were all issues we debated with him in the context of the recent flooding," Cllr Murphy said.

Taxis 'can charge what they like' - UDC

NAAS, 8 December 2000: by Brian Byrne. Naas taxi drivers can charge what they like, and can raise their charges whenever they like. And there’s nobody can stop them at the moment, which could mean a seasonal rise coming down the road.

The lack of control was revealed by Naas town clerk Declan Kirrane at the recent adjourned November meeting of Naas UDC, when he told councillors that there had been 12 applications for taxi licences to the authority since the announcement of the deregulation of the taxi industry.

Mr Kirrane said the councillors might want to consider in the near future some of the implications of the new applications, such as the number of parking places for taxis in the town. His comment that the UDC had never set prices came in response to a query about when charges were due for review.

Naas is the only taximeter area in County Kildare.

Seven-day street cleaning for major towns

KILDARE GENERAL, 8 December 2000: by Bill Trapman. Kildare County Council has included an increased provision from £430,000 to £775,000 (80% increase) to allow an expansion of the street cleaning activity.
At the conclusion of the Estimates Debate the County Finance Officer said that the Management would come back to the Council in the New Year with proposals for seven-day street cleaning in these large towns.

Cllr McGinley, whose motion that provision be made in the Estimates for 2001 for a seven-day street cleaning service in Maynooth, Leixlip, Celbridge, Kildare and Newbridge was adopted at the recent Estimates meeting, said perseverance on this issue ‘has finally paid off’ and is great news for the people of Maynooth, Leixlip and the other major towns in Kildare.

Naas ratepayers face maximum increase

NAAS, 7 December 2000: by Trish Whelan. Ratepayers in Naas face the maximum 9% rate increase allowed following the adoption of the Council’s Book of Estimates last week. Town manager Tommy Skehan said the increase would allow the Council to continue to provide services to the expanding population of Naas.

He stressed the Council will be taking all necessary steps, including legal action, to collect revenues due and that Council staff are ‘always prepared to meet people to discuss any difficulties’ in this regard. Mr Skehan said the UDC will also explore every avenue to secure additional funding for other projects which fall outside the scope of the Estimates.

The Council will spend some £3.7m in 2001, an increase of over 15% on this year’s figure. Revenue is expected to provide £1m leaving a shortfall of £2.6m. which will be made up by £484,782 in grants from Central Government and income from rates of £2.1m.

The Book of Estimates was adopted after a debate lasting two-and-a-half hours by a margin of 8-1. Cllr Pat McCarthy (left) said he had voted against the estimates because no provision had been made for a waiver scheme for those who were having difficulty in paying the fee. “I have given a list of towns were they have privatised the refuse service and have managed to get a waiver scheme as well and I don’t see why Naas should be an exception,” he said.

“I have asked many times in the last year for the legal advice obtained by officials on this matter and it was only read out tonight when I did not have time to study it,” he added.

Around and About the County...

GENERAL: The Midlands Chapter of the Irish Woodturners Guild are holding their Annual Exhibition of turned items in the Naas Library, Exhibition Gallery from the 12th December to the 16th. December. Over 200 items on display, turned from a variety of woods, in the main home grown hardwoods. Opportunities to view locally based quality craftwork and possibly purchase that unique gift for family or friends.

NAAS: Santa Claus is arriving by special transport to visit the CHRISTMAS FAIR, in Naas Town Hall on Saturday 9th December at 11.30am. He will have sack loads of presents for all the boys and girls and will even be available to take photos with the children of Naas. At the Christmas Fair, Mammies and Daddies can get in that last bit of Christmas shopping, with stands selling everything from beauty products to pottery there will be something there for the whole family, the Fair is on from 11am until 5.30pm on Saturday.

GENERAL: IICE - The Institute for International Cultural Exchange is involved in arranging for the participation of international folkdance & music groups in Irish festivals and similar Irish groups in international festivals. Groups are accommodated with families or in dormitory type accommodation and can take part in concerts, parades, recitals, workshops, classes and seminars. IICE has also arranged for Irish groups to participate in festivals in Germany, Sweden, Italy, France, Finland, Portugal, Belgium, Cornwall, Bulgaria, USA, Spain, Brittany, Estonia, Denmark, Switzerland and Poland. Interested groups or festivals should contact IICE, Enterprise Centre, Melitta Road, Kildare, Ireland. Phone + 353 (0)45 521190. Fax + 353 (0)45 521198. Email mdassociates@eircom.net

Cold water poured on 'frightening' pollution figures

NAAS, 6 December 2000: by Brian Byrne. Naas’s town engineer has poured cold water on suggestions that pollution of Naas’s streams and rivers is in breach of EU guidelines. But she says she is organising further sampling to assess the correct position.

Jennie Donovan was responding to a motion by Cllr Pat McCarthy (left) that asked the council take ‘remedial action’ to deal with such pollution ‘as a matter of urgency’.

The report (right), detailed some weeks ago on KNN, was commissioned by Major John de Burgh, who says he is very concerned at the levels of pollution in the waterways that feed into lakes in the town, particularly at his family home at Oldtown.

The major has spend much of his life rebuilding the waterways on the Oldtown Estate, part of which is to be taken over by Naas UDC as a public park. In particular, he says the pollution has seriously affected the Octagonal Lake, a key feature of the proposed park.

“This report makes frightening reading,” Cllr McCarthy told his fellow councillors last night. “It suggests that some of the pollution is up to 60 times that allowed by the EU. We’re watching a waterway being destroyed, and if we don’t do something about it, the park won’t be worth taking over.”

Cllr Mary Glennon said Major de Burgh had commissioned the report ‘in frustration’ at the lack of action on the waterways by either the UDC or the developers of Oldtown, Lehmex International. “He’s looking at the destruction of what he sees as Naas’s heritage,” she said.

The town engineer said the figures in the report ‘could be misleading’ as it appeared they had been taken in a relatively dry period, when the algae levels would be naturally high. “Samples we have taken since suggest that the pollution levels are well within EU requirements, and are indeed better than the Barrow River in the south of the county,” she said. She agreed that they would undertake further sampling in the locations specified in the report.

The chairman, Cllr Pat O’Reilly, complained that ‘it was a pity’ that the report had not been given first to the UDC, as ‘scare headlines’ about water pollution had resulted from it going into the public domain. But Cllr McCarthy reminded him that he had personally provided the chairman with a copy as soon as it came into his possession.

Town clerk Declan Kirrane said the report was being examined by the officials.

New Naas Superloo motion is passed

NAAS, 6 December 2000: by Brian Byrne. Visions of a travelling Superloo drifted briefly across Naas Council Chamber last night during a discussion on the long-standing problem of where to put the convenience. It seems that the loo is just too INconvenient for many of the places suggested for its location.

Indeed, Cllr Seamie Moore (right) questioned whether there was even a need for a public toilet in Naas, ‘given the upgrading of most of the pubs’ in town. He didn’t even relent when it was pointed out that most publicans aren’t keen on their premises being used as ‘call of nature’ facilities.

“They have no right to stop people using them,” he retorted, probably ensuring some cross looks from his local’s owner. This was after he had supported Cllr Willie Callaghan’s assertion that it would be a ‘waste of time’ to locate the loo beside the old public toilets at the side of the Town Hall (below). “Unless we also improve the security and lighting of that lane, women certainly won’t use it, Cllr Moore pointed out.”

Earlier, a somewhat exasperated town clerk Declan Kirrane had tossed away his town map with pictures of the Superloo superimposed on five suggested locations: the Town Hall site, beside the Courthouse (an idea ‘dumped’ by the staff of that particular facility), right in front of the TSB (which presumably didn’t raise any positive interest), north of the church on the Sallins Road (an unholy thought?), on the soon-to-be-pedestrianised area at Poplar Square (not exactly a ‘gem’ of an idea), and beside the bus-stop outside CKR (where queues could get mixed up).

“All the sites pose problems,” Declan Kirrane sighed. “But we should remember that these Superloos can be moved from place to place ...”

(Thoughts of a motorised Superloo that could be driven on a route incorporating all five sites, and perhaps might even be hailed from the short-taken in between stops?)

Not really. In fact, he wants just a temporary place to park it ‘until some streetscape modifications are completed’. (We’re betting on the pedestrianiation of Poplar Square.)

And despite the efforts of Cllrs Callaghan and Moore, their colleagues voted 5-2 in favour of putting the convenience up the dark lane. It was one of the few votes last night, proposed by Cllr Charlie Byrne, in which the chairman said ‘aye’ instead of ‘I vote against’. But that’s a story for later convenience.

Pictured above is the kind of Superloo which will be shortly available in Naas.

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