Reports from Skerries Community Liaison Committee March 2015

REPORTS FROM SKERRIES COMMUNITY LIAISON COMMITTEE

AttendanceCllr David O’ConnorCllr. J.P. BrowneCllr. Grainne Maguire

Jane Landy – SCA Rep.
Pat Reen – Prosper Fingal

Ann Doyle – Skerries Tidy Tows

Kay Coleman – Skerries Chamber
Guests

Ray Ryan – S.C.I

Apologies:

Cllr. Malachy Quinn, Geoff McEvoy S.C.A.,

Martin Sweeney – FCCAileen O’Connor – FCCBernard Kenealy – FCCAnn Murphy – FCC

John Hartnett – FCC

Meeting held on March 24th 2015
Town Park, Skerries – Update

Aileen O’Connor reported that the Council put the plans for the Town Park on public consultation requesting submissions from the people of Skerries.

As part of the public consultation, 53 submissions were received. All submissions will be considered in the preparation of a report that will be presented to the elected members at the Balbriggan / Swords Area Committee Services B meeting in April.

Skerries to Balbriggan Cycle Route – Update

Martin Sweeney provided an update to the proposed Skerries to Balbriggan Cycle route. There has been a lot of work carried out to date and lands have been acquired for the project. Although a portion of grant funding has been awarded by the N.T.A. the overall delivery of the project is reliant on further funding being provided. This funding has not yet been identified.

Fingal County Council will look to seek approval from the elected members to commence the Part 8 of the Planning Act & Regulations in relation to the scheme which will include the preparation of detailed drawings and costings and a public consultation period.

Signage on Promenade on South Strand

The Council will be placing signage on the promenade on South Strand restricting cycling on this pathway over the coming weeks. The signage is being installed as a direct result of cyclists who are not having regard for other users, especially elderly and mobility impaired users.

The signage will be placed at either end and at all entrance points on the track. When the signage is being installed, a press release will issue to local Councillors, Skerries News, Skerries Cycling, SCA etc. It will be emphasised that these measures are being taken to address inconsiderate adult cycling on the pathway, and it is not the intention to restrict or prohibit young children from cycling on the pathway.

Sit Down on Strand Street

The Committee members again discussed this difficult issue and have recommended that one of the benches be repositioned on Strand Street. This recommendation is being evaluated by the Operations Department and hopefully work can take place in the coming weeks.

Special Works Programme 2015

The elected members recently adopted the special works programme for the Operations Department. The following works relate to the town of Skerries;

Restoration  Improvement  2015 – Road Reconstruction

Thomas Hand Street, Skerries          300M             €75,000

Restoration Maintenance  2015

Convent Lane, Skerries (MO)            200M             €28,000

Millars Lane, Skerries (MO)               200M             €20,000

SPECIAL  WORKS  2015   

Footpaths and Drainage works –    Millverton, Thomas Hand St, Strand St & Millars Lane       €44,000

Traffic Management Schemes

Skerries Dublin Road between roundabout and

Townparks Distributor Road Junction        €23,000

Parks and Open Spaces

Skerries      Cormorant Bed                       €8,000

Kelly’s Bay path                                       €5,000

St Patrick’s Day Parade

The Committee wished to thank Kay Coleman for her help and involvement in this year’s parade.

End 28th March 2015

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The Liaison Committee is an informal meeting of community groups (including the SCA) and Fingal County Council officials. The committee meets four times per year and any resident of Skerries can request for a topic to be discussed.

The SCA representatives on the committee are Jane Landy (jane.landy@skerriesca.com) and Geoff McEvoy (geoff.mcevoy@skerriesca.com)

 

Launch of 2015 Skerries Adopt-A-Patch

Skerries Tidy Towns Committee, in association with Fingal County Council and Supervalu, re-launched “Adopt-a-Patch” at Skerries Mills last Tuesday (24 March 2015).

This successful scheme is now in its fifth season. New and continuing volunteers take charge of an open space, laneway or pedestrian area, and keep it clean and litter free. Fingal County-Council provide bags, and collect full bags from convenient points around the town. Our local Supervalu act as the depot for new bags, gloves etc.

Frances Owens and Breege Madden, the Tidy Towns “Adopt-a-Patch” coordinators, thanked all their volunteers. They added: “With your help, Skerries continues to achieve a high place in the national Tidy Towns competition.”

It was particularly good to see a strong contingent from Skerries Community College, who are ever increasing their involvement in the community. They regularly cooperate with SCA committees – Soundwaves, for instance, hugely benefited from a good number of Transition Year volunteers during their festival last September.  The SCC students have adopted a patch around the Community College.

 

Patch 2015 (1) Patch 2015 (2) Patch 2015 (3) Patch 2015 (4)

If you would like to join those who already have adopted an area, contact y member of Skerries Tidy Towns Committee, in particular Frances Owens (087 241 7017) or Breege Madden (087 770 0449).

  • Big areas can be divided between a number of volunteers.
  • The area can be cleaned at a time that suits you.
  • Gloves, bags and a picker will be provided.
  • Fingal County Council will collect bags from convenient points

Photographs: Brendan Sherlock, SCA.

Jim Quigley Volunteers Award 2015 – Call for Nominations

SCA VolunteersVolunteers are the glue of our community. Every year, Skerries Community Association awards a prize to an individual or a group of volunteers.

This year the nominee can be a young person, an adult, or a group – the only thing that matters is that they are deserving prize winners!

This prize is awarded every year in appreciation of volunteering work done in Skerries. You can read more about Jim Quigley and the prize, as well as see a list of previous winners, on our website.

Please forward nominations with as much information as you can giving the reason why you would like this person/group to get the prize.

The judges are outside the Town and need guidance on what the nominee does to help them make a fair decision.

Nominations to mary.conway@skerriesca.com  before the last day of May 2015.

 

Skerries CoderDojo in March

The volunteers of Skerries CoderDojo (one of the many committees of Skerries Community Association) made it possible once more – over 70 “ninjas” (young coders) attended the monthly CoderDojo (or computer-coding workshops) in our Old School last Sunday, 8 March 2015.

There are some 30 mentors and helpers involved in this project, all giving their time free of charge. Thanks to their main sponsor, RazorSocial (based in Rush), their venue is paid for for the moment, but there are many other costs to cover, such as mentor training,  child protection training, materials and (some) equipment (they borrow as much as possible).

Normally, sessions take place on the second Sunday of the month. Every month, tickets for this free event can be reserved. It is safest to book them on the Sunday before the event, when they go live at 5 p.m., as there can be waiting lists. An email to coderdojo@skerriesca.com is all it takes to be put on their mailing list & to be alerted in good time before the next session!

 

Tidy Towns: Adopt-a-Patch

Skerries Tidy Towns (a committee of Skerries Community Association) invites you to the relaunch of their ‘Adopt-a-Patch’ scheme at Skerries Mills on Tuesday, 24th March between 2.30 and 4 p.m.

We hope our existing volunteers will continue the wonderful work they do in helping to keep Skerries litter free and welcome new volunteers to Adopt-a-Patch. Come along and check out the areas we hope individuals and families will adopt!

  • Big areas can be divided between a number of volunteers.
  • The area can be cleaned at a time that suits you.
  • Gloves, bags and a picker will be provided.
  • Fingal County Council will collect bags from convenient points

Could you spare an hour or two each week to keep a space clean and litter free? If you can, please come to our relaunch and register.

Contact any member of Skerries Tidy Towns Committee, in particular Frances Owens (087 241 7017) or Breege Madden (087 770 0449)