Tidy Towns ask: Join Cleaner Communities Competition!

Posted on April 30, 2015 by SMcK

Skerries Tidy Towns Committee write:

Entry forms are now available for the Fingal County Council “Cleaner Communities Competition”.
They can be downloaded from the Fingal County Council site, click on the link below or phone 018905453.
There are entries accepted from both Commercial and Residential.
Commercial includes: presentation of premises, Waste Management Initiatives, Energy Management Initiatives and Biodiversity.
Residential includes: best presented gardens, thatched cottages, estates, apartments, community centres.
There is also an award for Green Business: special effort to be environmentally friendly.
This is our own county competition and we as a town have lots to offer so please download a form and enter your residential area, house or business.

http://www.fingalcoco.ie/…/c…/community-clean-up-and-awards/

Bike Repair and Maintenance Course organised by two of our committees

Posted on April 18, 2015 by SMcK

Fix that bike! Want to learn how to fix punctures and brakes and lots of other practical stuff to keep your bike working safely and efficiently?

Two of the committees of Skerries Community Association have come together to bring you this course:

Sign up now for a free bike repair and maintenance course coming to Skerries in May. The course is open to Skerries residents over sixteen years old and is being organised by Skerries Cycling Initiative and Skerries Tidy Towns.

The course involves six sessions and will take place on Tuesdays and Wednesday mornings (9am-12 noon) over a three week period starting on Tuesday 5 May and ending on Wed 20 May.

Any questions? Contact Michael, Skerries Cycling Initiative, via cycling@skerriesca.com

Sponsored by Fingal County Council under the Local Agenda 21 Environmental Grants scheme

Reports from Skerries Community Liaison Committee March 2015

Posted on March 31, 2015 by SMcK

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

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)

: Geoff McEvoy (SCA Vice Chairperson)

: Jane Landy (Liaison with Fingal County Council)

Submissions by our Committees re Town Park

Posted on February 6, 2015 by SMcK

There is considerable interest in Skerries in the redevelopment of Skerries Town Park, and rightly so. In addition to the direct submission made by Skerries Community Association to Fingal County Council, a number of our committees also made their thoughts known. Some of them can be accessed here on our website – see rough summaries and links below.

Active Transport

Skerries Cycling Initiative made a comprehensive submission to Fingal County Council regarding the Town Park redevelopment. In summary:

Skerries Cycling Initiative (SCI) welcomes this plan in principle. The proposed new entrances and paths have the potential to create better access to amenities in the park and more importantly, to provide links between the North, South, East and West of the town.
The Town Park serves many purposes and its redevelopment gives Skerries a unique opportunity. Our comments in this submission are directed towards improving the Town Park as an active travel hub as well as improving access to the many amenities -existing and planned- in the Town Park. As such our focus is on extending the capacity of the Park to provide safe routes of travel for persons walking and cycling, using wheelchairs and other mobility vehicles including cycles adapted for persons with disabilities. We want the end result of the redevelopment to be the creation of an inclusive, age friendly and attractive space. We wish also to point out that increasing numbers of battery powered mobility vehicles are in use around the town and it is important that the users of these vehicles are catered for through well designed pathways in the Park.

Click on the following link to open the full submission, which includes maps and tables, in a new window: SCI Submission Townpark Redevelopment

Community Food Garden

Adding a community food garden was at the heart of the submission made by our Sustainable Skerries Committee. They write:

Sustainable Skerries wishes to submit a proposal to Fingal County Council with respect to the Skerries Town Park development to allow an area for a Community garden in the plans.

Site specification: Good drainage Easy to secure 600 -1000m2

We believe that the ideal location for the community garden would be beside the Bowling green, where the shipping container is at present. This area has easy access for young and old people alike, and is somewhat secure.

You can read their submission in full here: Community Food Garden Proposal to FCC Sustainable Skerries

Skatepark

The Skerries Skatepark Committee, also part of the SCA, wrote:

As part of the new Town Park Development Plan we would like to see a skatepark included in the overall plans. It has been the vision of the committee to construct a skatepark that is sensitive to its surrounding from a visual and environmental viewpoint. … Ideally 700 m2 area would suit a skatepark, this give enough room for mixed ages and abilities to participate at the same time. As a comparison a football pitch is around 7,000 m2.

See the full submission here: Town Park Plan – skatepark

Skerries Tidy Towns also had direct input to Fingal County Council in this regard; we will add their submissions as they become available to us.

SCA Submission re Town Park to FCC

Posted on January 28, 2015 by SMcK

….the proposed development of the Skerries town park as described in the plan is very welcome and will go a long way to making this park an amenity that the entire community can enjoy and be proud of.

This is the central message of our submission to Fingal County Council regarding the proposed redevelopment of the green heart of Skerries, the Town park.

In it, we are supporting the separate submissions made by our committees, Skerries Cycling Initiative, Skerries Tidy Towns, Sustainable Skerries and Skatepark Committee, and making some points of our own.

Here is a quick summary of our suggestions:

the provision of improved lighting around the Mill car park and the road leading to it.
an illuminated loop path for wintertime running
an increased provision of safe routes of travel for persons walking and cycling, using wheelchairs and other mobility vehicles including cycles adapted for persons with disabilities
the possible provision of a skatepark in the town park should be explored as part of this development
an area could be allocated for the provision of a community food garden, possibly by the bowling green for ease of access
inclusion of a fully equipped theatre and performance space within any extension of the Community Centre, or to explore possible provision for a free standing theatre and performance space, subject to planning permission, within the confines of the park

If you would like to read the full, much more detailed submission, sent to Fingal County Council by our Vice Chair, Geoff McEvoy, on 27 January 2015, just click on the link to it below.

SCA Submission Town Park January 2015

Skerries Town Park Public Consultation

Posted on December 9, 2014 by SMcK

Skerries Town Park Masterplan Consultation is underway now and closes on 27 January: As Part of Age Friendly Action Skerries, Fingal County Council is planning to improve Skerries Town Park. Plans are on display until 13 January.

From the Site Notice.

The plans for the Skerries Town Park Masterplan are available now in Swords & Balbriggan County Offices and in Skerries Library – as well as on the Fingal County Council website, from where we retrieved the documents on this page, too.

Please note that the current masterplan deals with the following aspects:

New Play Facilities including Children’s Playground and Multi-use Games Area
New Adult Exercise Area
Improved Path Network including resurfacing of existing paths, additional sections of footpaths and 3 additional pedestrian entrances
Provision of Wildlife Viewing Deck
Reconfiguration of Sports Pitches
Upgrading of Existing Sports Pitches
Upgrading of Existing Sports Pitches including improving drainage

click on the map to enlarge (opens in a new tab)

The Directors of Skerries Community Association are encouraging everybody, and all groups in Skerries (especially its own committees) to take a good look at the documents and to make any views known to devplan@fingal.ie

[Fingal County Council add: All comment,s including the names and addresses of those making comments, submitted to the Council in regard to this development will form part of the statutorily required report to be presented to the monthly meeting of Fingal County Council. Accordingly they will also be included in the minutes of that meeting and consequently will appear on the Council’s Website.]

Skerries Town Park Proposed Improvements

From the Report

Brendan Sherlock – our Community Person of the Year

Posted on November 14, 2014 by SMcK

Congratulations are due to Brendan Sherlock, one of the Directors of the Skerries Community Association and a long-standing & very active volunteer, for being the recipient of a Fingal County Council Community Person of the Year Award recently.

Apart from his involvement as a Director of the SCA, in our tree-planting committee Crann Padraig, and now the new Age Friendly Skerries Committee, Brendan is an active member of the Loughshinny Motorcycle Supporters Club and the Skerries representative on the Fingal Community and Voluntary Council.

Our Chairperson, Ciara Leonard, writes:

We are very proud to announce that our fellow SCA board member, Brendan Sherlock was honoured at the Community Person of the Year Awards, held by Fingal County Council on Wednesday 5th November 2014 in the Draíocht, Blanchardstown, hosted by Mary Kennedy. Brendan received his award from the mayor of Fingal, Cllr. Mags Murray. Brendan was nominated by ourselves, Crann Phádraig and Loughshinny Motorcycle Club for his many years of service to our community.

Brendan Sherlock receiving Community Person Award

Brendan receiving his award from the Mayor of Fingal, Cllr. Mags Murray; far left: Paul Reid, CEO, Fingal County Council; far right: Mary Kennedy.

At Community Person Award 2014 Photo by Kevin Mcfeely

The Skerries Community Association Delegation at the Awards Ceremony, from left to right: Paul Reid, CEO of Fingal County Council; Martin Russell, SCA; Ciara Leonard, Chair, SCA; Brendan Sherlock himself; Mary Kennedy; Mary Conway, SCA; Brendan’s nephew Paul Sherlock; Nunce McAuley, SCA.

At the Community Awards Reception 2014 Photo by Kevin Mcfeely

Ciara Leonard, Nunce McAuley (back to us), Brendan’s nephew Paul Sherlock, Brendan Sherlock, Martin Russell

Photographs of the event: Kevin McFeely Photography, Swords.

Skerries Liaison Committee October 2014

Posted on October 30, 2014 by SMcK

The Skerries Liaison Committee met on the 14th October. This was the first meeting since the local elections and was a good opportunity for the new councillors to familiarise themselves with some of the work that goes on in Skerries and for the contribution of former councillors to be acknowledged.

The meeting received submissions from residents regarding the provision of disabled parking spaces and the use of Irish in the town. There was also a presentation from Skerries Rowing Club on their need for increased facilities as the club has grown in membership. The meeting also received an update on the Floraville community garden and had a discussion on the results of the Tidy Towns competition.

tidy towns 2 The provisions for Halloween were also mentioned. The Council advised that any burnable materials that are being stored on public property be reported to the Council as soon as possible for removal. Contact: Operations Section 890 5826

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

: Geoff McEvoy (SCA Chairperson)

: Jane Landy (Liaison with Fingal County Council)

Fingal County Council Launches Green Dog Walker Campaign in Skerries

Posted on September 29, 2014 by SMcK

In September, Fingal County Council came out to Skerries to launch the Green Dog Walker Campaign. The Mayor, a Dog Warden, an Environmental Officer and lots of dogs, as well as Skerries folk and their dogs, and of course our Chairperson all were at the South Strand on the day to help with the launch.

Fingal Co Co launches its Green Dog walkers campaign in Skerries. From front left, clockwise: Tiger. Fingal’s Mayor, Mags Murray. Ciara Leonard, Chairperson, Skerries Community Association. Fingal Litter Warden Tony Law, and his dog Roxy. Photo by Kevin Mcfeely

Let’s hope that this initiative will contribute to a safer, doggy-do-accident-free walking environment in Skerries!

Green Dog Walkers is a regional programme. It is a non-confrontational, friendly way to change attitudes about dog fouling.

Volunteers wear a Green Dog Walkers armband which signifies that they have “taken the pledge” to always:

clean up after their dog
wear the armband or put the Green Dog Walkers collar on their dog when walking
carry extra dog waste bags
be happy to be approached to ‘lend’ a dog waste bag to those without
be a friendly reminder to other dog walkers to clean up after their dogs

Sounds good, doesn’t it? And you can still join! All you have to do is sign the Green Dog Walkers Pledge – either online (follow the link) and return by email to enviraware@fingal.ie or post to the Environment Department, Fingal County Council, County Hall, Swords, Co. Dublin. A Green Dog Walker armband and a bone dog bag dispenser will then be posted to you.

Green Dog Walkers 2014 (9) Green Dog Walkers 2014 (2)
Green Dog Walkers 2014 (6)
Green Dog Walkers 2014 (8)

Be a Green Dog Walker!

Posted on September 11, 2014 by SMcK

Have you noticed? The days are getting shorter. And for those of us with dogs to walk, we’ll increasingly be out and about with Fido in the dark. Joggers, walkers, kids going to school will be out when it’s not 100% bright, either… and these are the times when we are all particularly happy about clean, poo-free sidewalks, roads, and verges!

I guess 99.5% of all dog walkers are well-intentioned and always mean to tidy up after their dog. Sometimes, however, they might be caught without a plastic bag to do so…

Enter the Green Dog Walker!

Green Dog Walkers is a regional programme. It is a non-confrontational, friendly way to change attitudes about dog fouling.

Volunteers wear a Green Dog Walkers armband which signifies that they have “taken the pledge” to always:

clean up after their dog
wear the armband or put the Green Dog Walkers collar on their dog when walking
carry extra dog waste bags
be happy to be approached to ‘lend’ a dog waste bag to those without
be a friendly reminder to other dog walkers to clean up after their dogs

Sounds good, doesn’t it? All you have to do is sign the Green Dog Walkers Pledge – either online (follow the link) and return by email to enviraware@fingal.ie or post to the Environment Department, Fingal County Council, County Hall, Swords, Co. Dublin. A Green Dog Walker armband and a bone dog bag dispenser will then be posted to you.

Or even better: Come to the South Strand, Skerries, between 10 a.m. and 12 noon this coming Saturday (13 Sep), meet a Fingal dog warden, “take the pledge,” and meet other doggies and their walkers! (Or should that be: walkers and their doggies?)

Do encourage friends with dogs or dog lovers to come down and join in the fun!

You can read more with our Green Dog Walker Leaflet or Green Dog Walker Leaflet Irish Version .

Skerries Community Association is happy to be cooperating with Fingal County Council in this initiative.

Skerries Community Association

Helping to make a great town even better.

Category Archives: Updates from Fingal County Council