December  2015

  • Lidl Development

The Applicant lodged Additional Information with Fingal County Council on Friday 6th November which they (FCC) considered to be of a signcant nature. Revised drawings were submitted with this A.I. There would be a reduction in retail space to provide for more parking spaces as well as clarification of delivery times of trucks to the store. An additional 10 car parking spaces would be provided by the reduction in ground floor retail units by 99m. This would bring the total car parking spaces up to 85. Fingal County Council had requested a minimum of 100 spaces. The Applicant specifies in their submission where these additional spaces will be located. Four of them will be along St Brigit’s Avenue. None would seem to be provided in the under croft parking area!! There would be no reduction in the t LIdl sales area or first floor offices. They are adamant that these changes in the layout plan and floor plans will meet the standards required by the Planning Authority. They state in their submission:

‘Overall it is clear that the revised layout with 85 spaces is 99% compliant with FCC standard which incorporates the MAX required for the Anchor’

They are of the opinion that ‘the revision comprehensively addresses FCC planning requirements’

Regarding the delivery time for trucks the Applicant insists Lidl do things differently from other supermarkets. They state that they have a centralised delivery unit and are not depending on multi suppliers compared to traditional stores. Consequently they maintain this has the potential for minimal interference for traffic along Strand Rd or St Anne’s Square. They felt it was not appropriate to regulate delivery times of such low intensity which they claim is normally one truck per day. However they will comply with the local Authority if they insist delivery times must be between the trading hours of 8.00AM -10.00PM.The Applicant is also prepared to provide a polished stone finish on Strand Rd if the local authority insists on it.

The PCA have already made two submissions to FCC about this development. We feel scale is just too big for this site. We have also raised concerns about inadequate parking as well as further gridlock on Strand Rd that will inevitably follow if this store goes ahead. Over 100 submissions have come from residents expressing their concerns about it. It will undoubtedly go to An Board Pleanala if FCC grants permission

  • Portmarnock Tidy Towns

A summary of the inspectors report was given in the last edition of Progress. Our Tidy Towns committee are determined to take on board their observations and hope to do better next year. It will require real backing from our community as well as support from Fingal County Council .A Tidy Towns deputation met with FCC on Tuesday 10th November in the PSLC.They were informed about the inspectors report. We had prepared a ‘do list’ for this meeting with the support from the council. The following is a summary of the priorities to be undertaken in our 5 year plan

  • Planters to be put on the Promenade as well as some more in the village. Planters will be made of recycled plastics
  • Signage for toilets to be placed on promenade
  • Rubble to be removed from beach behind the toilets
  • Grass on slope above shelter to be cut more frequently without damaging  daffodils
  • Signage for upper and lower car parks to the beach to be improved
  • Sleepers on access path to the beach from lower car park to be repaired
  • The  old stone walls along Strand Rd (Golf links side) to be repaired and given a face lift as well as the wall at the entrance to the village from Baldoyle
  • Signage on all roads leading into Portmarnock to be improved
  • Area around recycling bins to be kept clean
  • More trees to be planted around Portmarnock. Species to be given careful consideration
  • Walkway/Cycleway from Portmarnock to Baldoyle needed urgently.

It was pointed out to FCC representatives that an excellent Urban Village Strategy had been produced for Portmarnock in 2009 and that this should now form a template for the council to act upon. These Urban Centre Strategies were produced for several villages and towns in Fingal but have been ignored mainly due to the economic down turn and council funding from central government. Your property tax was supposed to be ‘ring fenced’ for local authorities!! Our Tidy Towns committee will liaise with local businesses, schools, sporting organisations, developers and other groups in our community with a view to seeking their cooperation in acting upon the inspectors report. A Tidy Towns presentation will be made at our AGM on the 30th November.

  • Neighbourhood Watch/Text Alert

A public meeting took place in the Parish Centre on Thursday 12th November. The main purpose of the meeting was to explain how the Text Alert system operates. It was pointed out that Text Alert is not meant to be a replacement for 112 and 999 emergency service numbers. Text Alert operates by registering subscriber’s mobile phone numbers in a secure system operated by a Text Alert service provider. Registered subscribers receive a text message when a Text Alert is issued by the Gardaí in Malahide Garda sub-district. Gardaí carefully assess the information received before issuing Text Alert. When the Gardaí decide to issue a Text Alert the message is entered and sent to a nominated Text Alert provider. Text Alerts are issued from Watch e. g. ‘Suspicious red van 02 D 000 inXXXX area please call Malahide Gardaí (6664600) if seen. The strategic location of Neighbourhood Watch Text Alert signs are agreed in consultation with a member from an Garda Siochana and members from the established Neighbourhood Watch Alert Group. The local Authority will then erect the sign and it is their insurance that indemnifies them into the future.

The October crime stats for Portmarnock were given to our representative at the November meeting of Neighbourhood Watch in Malahide Parish Centre. There were 6 burglaries, 7 cases of theft and 3 of criminal damage in our community. The burglaries were in Strandmill Rd., St Anne’s Square, Carrickhill Heights, White Sands Hotel and in one of the schools.

  • Happy Christmas

As this is the last edition of Progress before Christmas the PCA wish all in our community a Very Happy and Peaceful Christmas

NOVEMBER 2015

 

  • Portmarnock Tidy Towns

A report on Tidy Towns appears elsewhere in this edition. While we didn’t figure among the prize winners   some very positive comments were made by the adjudicators especially in regard to litter control in Portmarnock. The cleanliness of our beach was highlighted in their report. Participation was more important than getting medals in this year’s competition. Portmarnock had just entered once before. Tidy Towns is a subcommittee of the PCA. We are very grateful to everybody who helped with our effort this year. We are determined to take on board the remarks made by the adjudicators and hopefully Portmarnock will figure among the prize winners in the not too distant future.

  • PCA AGM and EGM

As stated in last month’s Progress the PCA AGM will take place in Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links on Monday 30th November at 8.00PM.Issues for discussion at this year’s AGM were outlined in the same edition. The AGM will be preceded by an EGM. The purpose of the EGM is to reverse the decision taken at last year’s special meeting on the Memorandum and Articles of Association. A subcommittee of the PCA working on a revision of these articles realised that it would be much simpler to replace them with a simple constitution similar to nearly all other residents associations in Fingal. .

Retaining the Memos and Articles even under the new Company Law 2014 would mean that we would still have to operate as a limited company and be bound by this Act. Directors would have to be nominated and audited accounts filed each year in compliance with Company Law. This would not make any sense as our Association is now much smaller than it was in 1976 and would entail a lot of extra work on the part of the committee. Neither do we have any assets or intend acquire them. We are simply a residents association similar to all others. As far as we are aware no other residents association in Fingal operates as a limited company. A draft of the new constitution will be presented at the agm. We will still have public liability insurance under the new constitution and our accounts will be filed each year and signed off on by a professional auditor agreed at the AGM. We are very grateful to Andrew Rittweger, Malahide, for doing our accounts pro bono over several years.

Only paid up members of the PCA will be able to vote at the EGM. All will be notified before the meeting. Do try to come along to our agm. Younger members in our community would help to redress the age balance and we would be delighted to see them attending! Family or individual subscriptions still stand at €20. It can be paid at the door on the night.

  • Lidl Development

The developer supplied the Additional Information to the Planning Authority on Friday 25th September 2015. Very few changes were made to the original planning application. The applicant was not prepared to change the parking facilities from 75 to 100 spaces requested by thy Fingal. Comparisons were made between Lidls Terenure Store and the one proposed for Portmarnock as well as the one on Swords Road, Malahide, as a justification for not increasing parking facilities. The PCA responded to the Additional Information. We felt strongly that comparisons of this kind cannot be made as Portmarnock is a very from Terenure or Swords locations. Traffic congestion will be magnified at certain times during the week if this supermarket goes ahead. We also felt that the trees should not be removed. The Planning Authority will give their response within four weeks. If permission is granted by FCC the PCA will support residents in going to An Board Pleanala for a final decision.

  • Neighbourhood Watch

At the monthly meeting in Malahide of Neighbourhood Watch the Gardaí felt that some people were not using the Text Alert System correctly. It is primarily meant to warn people of anybody acting suspiciously in their area. It is not to be used to report burglaries or other crimes. The Gardaí urged people to call 999 when this happens. Text Alert was never meant to replace calls to 999. However it was the Text Alert System that successfully helped to arrest the Dublin gang who terrorised the Corcoran family in Tipperary last year and who recently were given long prison sentences. Some of these criminals had already committed over 100 crimes!! A public meeting will be held in the Parish Centre on Thursday 12th November at 7.30PM   to explain how the Text Alert and 999 systems operate.

There were some burglaries in Portmarnock during September as well as damage to property and car thefts. Gardaí also advised people during winter mornings not go back into their homes and leave their cars running. Some cars were taken last year in Portmarnock when their owners returned! Banking scams are also on the increase.  People were warned never give any banking details over the phone to anyone except they are one hundred per cent certain of the identity of the individual calling you. There are now very professional conmen operating scams and getting to individual banking accounts

  • Contacting the PCA

If you want to contact us about any issues in our community or volunteer for any of our committees why not call us at 0873858254 (leave a message on our voicemail) or email portmarnock1@Gmail.com. You can also follow us on our website/Facebook at www.portmarnock.org