Balcurris Forum Issues and Decisions in 2004
Monthly Forum General Meeting.
Meeting of Tuesday July 19-2004
The following issues were raised and-or agreed
1.The minutes of the previous meeting
Read, proposed and agreed
2.Matters arising from the minutes & decision sheet.
Because the previous months meeting ended prematurely no decisions were agreed, therefore there are no matters arising.
3.Correspondence.
Read and noted
4. Reports.
Regeneration Liaison & Regeneration Working Group.
The Chair gave a brief update on regeneration issues covered. Copies of the regeneration minutes were distributed.
Estate Management/ Neighbourhood Management Working Group.
Maintenance issues were raised at the working group meeting and passed to Dublin City Council (DCC). Matters discussed ranged from broken doors and letterboxes to rodent infestation in a seventh floor flat. Copies of updated maintenance requests and repairs were presented to the Forum members. DCC explained that the low number of completed jobs in their report does not reflect the actual number of maintenance jobs carried out, as quite often the paperwork is not inputted to internal reports. This issue is being addressed within DCC.
It was reported that there is a shortage of DCC craft workers in the estate but DCC have a recruitment embargo in place that prevents any additional staff being employed.
Garda Report.
The Garda representative gave a brief report on crime and anti social activity in the area. He agreed to arrange for the Junior Liaison Officer (JLO) to attend the September Forum meeting.
Dublin City Council (DCC) Report.
The Forum boundary issue that had led to the premature ending of the previous monthly meeting was raised. A Forum member pointed out that the DCC estate management boundaries were changed in order that they would be in sync with newly proposed BNC election boundaries. This proposal would reduce the number of Forums from five to three. However, the effect of the proposed change would mean that an important section of the Balcurris-Balbutcher Forum area would be incorporated into another area. Therefore the Forum was not happy that the DCC changes were made without Forum involvement. The Forum member said that a meeting was sought with DCC but the changes were implemented before the meeting could take place.
A frank exchange of views then followed. The DCC outlined the reporting structure changes and told the Forum that any issues that a resident wanted to raise with DCC could be made at any DCC office and it would be followed up on.
The Forum member pointed out that a breakdown in communications may have caused the dissention because the Forums-DCC Neighbourhood Management Working Group which would have allowed for the DCC changes to be discussed, has only met sporadically. DCC agreed to examine this.
Drugs Task Force.
The Forum representative on the Ballymun Drugs Task Force reported that their last meeting discussed the growing number of off-licenses in the estate and the apparent ease with which licenses are being allocated.
A.O.B.
The Forum office would be closed for the month of August. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday the 14th of September 2004.
End.
Regeneration Affairs Meeting -19/07/04
1.Minutes of the previous meeting.
Read and agreed.
2 BRL Updates:
Balcurris 1 (new-build housing adjacent to Balcurris Gardens) will be completed early next year. Handovers for Balcurris 3 (new-build housing adjacent to Dolmen Court) should start in September. The Forum Chairperson told the meeting the Forum is supporting the financial support group MABS who have begun a petition to have gas token meters installed in the homes. The Forum believes that the meters allow people to budget their finances by only using the gas that they have pre-aid for.
Balcurris 5 housing should be ready to go to planning approval before the end of July.
The organisations who are involved in the new Boys hostel have met and agreed on designs. The Forum Chairperson requested a copy of the drawing for presentation to the Board of BNC.
The area designated as Balcurris 6 (housing) is located at the rear of Balcurris Park beside. This site including Balcurris Road Block C, will form part of the Ballymun Regeneration Ltd - Phase 4 housing and facilities programme.
A proposed new building to be sited at the corner of the Balbutcher and Balcurris junction, opposite the shopping centre, should be through planning soon. It was confirmed that it will house Youth Action Project and other community organisations and it is not a residential/hostel building.
Part 8 planning applications are being prepared for the road and infrastructure works beside Musgrave’s to support and facilitate the Balcurris 4 housing site (where horse project is presently sited).
The Contractor has begun to erect hoarding around the Poppintree 5a site (near St Joseph’s School and Block C).
Flats Demolition Programme
The Forum welcomed the fact the demolition of Patrick Pearse Tower began on Saturday July 10th. Currently the plant and lift services of the block are being removed.
New Balcurris Park
Work on the Balcurris Park should be completed by October/November of this year.
The BRL Project Architect told the meeting that in order to maximise the benefit to the users, some fine-tuning of equipment and surfaces was being carried out in the playground area of Balcurris Park.
Balcurris Gardens Infrastructure Work
As part of the works necessary for the sewage pipe upgrade in Balcurris Gardens, it will be necessary to disrupt traffic at three diversion points along Balbutcher Lane. The first and second points will have temporary road and paths in place before hand in order to minimise disruptions. (a) The first works are located at the entrance to the GAMA site. (b)The second site is opposite blocks 1 & 2 of Balbutcher lane close to 1 to 8 Ard na Meala. (c) The third diversion point is more problematic as it located at the junction of Balbutcher Lane and Balcurris Road opposite the shopping centre car park. The contractor suggested a number of scenarios and BRL are looking at all suggestions with the desire to minimise impact on traffic. It should take roughly two working weeks for each of the first two connections to be put in place.
The Forum Chairperson requested that BRL or the contractor contact the Ard Na Meala residents who would be directly affected and explain the proposed area for the temporary road and path.
Additional Issues
In reply to a question from the Forum as to why the shop/van at Balcurris road was the only shop/van in Ballymun not to be contacted in writing by the letting agent Lisney Auctioneers, BRL confirmed that it was their belief that all shop/van owners were contacted. Nevertheless, BRL will organise for another letter be sent to the owner of the shop/van in question.
BRL confirmed that Aiden’s request for replacement windows and window-cleaning expenses for specific Ard na Meala residents had been answered in writing by them. The BRL answer was that they would not contribute or pay for any of the items requested.
A question was raised in relation to IAP funds. The Forum requested details on how the fund is allocated and what community input is in place in terms of overseeing the allocations.
A small lane way between the hoarding around Balcurris park and Balcurris Gardens is being closed off and mailboxes are being installed at the rear of some homes by BRL because front access to some houses is restricted during the construction operation.
The next Balcurris-Balbutcher Forum Regeneration Affairs meeting is scheduled for:
Monday, September 6 in the Forum office.
End.
This page was updated on 18th August, 2004