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Derek Mitchell provides updates on several infrastructure projects and issues in Greystones and the surrounding areas: 1) The Greystones Harbour development has unveiled new boat access facilities including slipways and parking, with more areas scheduled to open later. 2) A new secondary school will be built in Greystones by 2014 to address growing demand. Mitchell advocates for an Educate Together model. 3) Traffic congestion at the M11/N11 junction is a serious problem, and Mitchell discusses short and long term plans to improve capacity and merging lanes. However, local opposition has delayed the short term solution.
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- 1. Councillor Derek Mitchell Wicklow County Council Fine Gael Kiltoorish, Manor Avenue, Greystones, Co. Wicklow. Tel/Fax 01-2874115(H) • www.derekmitchell.ie ity Commun Email: mitchelld@eircom.net Update Not JUNk Mail!! TURNING VISION INTO REALITY THE HARBOUR IS UNVEILED PLUS... • Keep Coastal Walk Open • New Secondary School • Derelict Sites • M11/N11 Traffic Jams • Real-Time Bus Information • Civic Forum
- 2. New Secondary School should be Turning Vision into Reality - Keep Coastal Walk Open from The Harbour is Unveiled Educate Together Greystones to Wicklow Town An excellent harbour structure has been completed and a The Minister for Education has announced that a new good public slipway is now available to all which is Secondary school will be built in Greystones for 2014. better than before. In April I produced a plan for the The population expanded rapidly and there will be a developers to get as much as possible of the harbour shortage of places soon, so I am glad that the Minister open to the public and, in spite of the difficult financial has now recognised this. The site is owned by the climate, the work is now well underway for a September Department and is close to Lidl. Some years ago I worked opening. Most of the items in my plan are included. hard to get this site and the ones for the Educate Together and Gaelscoile Primary schools. No Patron has been announced but I want to see an Educate BOAT ACCESS Together School as this has the best chance of getting pupils to The new larger East Public Slipway and the entire beach area will study in Greystones. I did a study of the 2006 Census which be available for boat launching. At my suggestion the Sea Scouts, showed that Greystones is unusual as 60% of pupils go outside rowers, divers, anglers and sailors get their full boat parking town for education and it has by far the highest number of pupils space. These will be the best boat launching facilities in the taking the train to school. country and will allow marine use by children and adults to flourish. The Secondary Educate Together Group has expressions of interest from over 800 prospective pupils. If you would like to register an Expression of Interest for your child then print the form from GENERAL ACCESS www.wicklow2school.ie and post it to them. Taking the hoardings down has created a lovely vista. A green The photo shows Deirdre Crowe, Jessica Bird of the ET campaign area, walking area, car and trailer parking are being created east This is a great walk but there have been a number of and myself giving an excited ‘thumbs up’ immediately after being of the present slipway. This and the boat parking will have phoned by Simon Harris T.D. about the announcement of a new serious safety incidents recently. In some cases temporary, but firm, surfaces. I suggested that the top of the school. South Pier should be open with access from the beach area and birdwatchers, who set up tripods on the bridge, have this is being done. refused to move for trains even though the train whistled and had to stop. Also people have tried to save their dogs from the tracks, risking their own lives, when H.S.E. PRIMARY MEDICAL CARE CENTRE Construction of the 4 storey building, in front of the existing Sailing Club, will be completed in September 2012. It will also a train was coming. This behaviour is unsafe and causes problems for all of us. Irish Rail will be putting a fence Derelict Sites include a doctor’s practice, 11 apartments and a shop. This between the path and the tracks. However the Breeches medical complex will be welcomed by the town. The green area Bridge at Kilcoole is too narrow and they were going to between this and the slipway still has to be developed close the bridge to pedestrians. This would cut the walk. La Touche Hotel. This, the most prominent building in (underground petrol and diesel tanks for the marina, flood control I am urging them to keep pedestrian access open. Greystones, has been derelict for 10 years and is an eyesore. The tanks, water, gas and sewerage pipes) and must remain hoarded landside front and the internal staircase are preserved. Over many off for safety reasons, but is expected to open next July. I made suggestions to Irish Rail and subsequently walked the line years I have been demanding that it is listed on the Derelict Sites with their engineers. They have agreed to ask bridge engineers to Register but only this year did Council officials issue the required design a solution which would allow pedestrians cross safely. A notices. If a building is on the Register then a tax of 3% of the MARINA long term solution might be to replace the bridge deck with one site value must be paid each year or accumulated until sold. This It is not possible to have safe land access to this area before the having a separate pedestrian path. This has to be designed and provides a major incentive to develop the site. The site owner, a Plan when medical building is largely complete. It is hoped to open a small costed and could not be implemented before next year. Funding liquidator, agreed to work on the building but has failed to live up health centre open marina early next Summer. The developers are keen to to his promises and it is now past time for it to be listed on the would also have to be found. I have also suggested that a raised know the level of demand to size it so if you are Register. interested in putting a boat on the marina, E-Mail me platform should be constructed on the sea side so that and I will pass this on and they can contact you. birdwatchers get a good view without going on the tracks. Kilcoole. The knocked down building in the centre is on the Register which has encouraged the owner to remove rubble and This plan implements lower cost items contained in the They will fence the rail line in September and as a temporary make it neater. The owner of the other derelict house in the centre final project and which have major public benefit. The measure they will probably allow bridge access through gates has been threatened with placement on the Register but has now Council has a €5M bond in case the public facilities are with extra signs and instructions for the train to whistle. agreed to carry out some work to make it better. not completed but this cannot be exercised for a number of years. This interim plan is very welcome and I will be following this up to ensure pedestrian access is kept I am sure that we will not need to exercise the bond to open and am pleased they are responding positively. get the public facilities complete. When the medical building is complete I will be asking the developers to review access to the North Pier, other areas, clubhouse construction and the northern fencing in the light of circumstances at the time. Councillor Wicklow County Council Derek Mitchell Kiltoorish, Manor Avenue, Greystones, Co. Wicklow. Tel/Fax 01-2874115(H) www.derekmitchell.ie Fine Gael Email: mitchelld@eircom.net
- 3. M11 / N11 Traffic Jams Very serious traffic jams happen where the motorway ends going South, sometimes stretching back 4 miles. This is the oldest dual-carriageway around Dublin and needs upgrading to cope with current traffic volumes. For many years I have been raising this with the National Roads Authority, the Council and the Dublin Regional Authority to get the problem solved. Problems with cars merging and queuing on the exit ramps send ‘waves’ of delays back reducing speed and the capacity of the road. Short Term. The NRA produced a short term solution and had €2m to fund it last year. However, Bray members of Wicklow County Council have rejected, thus delaying, this solution as they have got the false impression that these changes will make the traffic on Bray’s main street worse. However the opposite is true. The Kilcroney roundabout at the South Bray junction will be replaced by traffic lights. This will allow space for 2 right turn lanes into the Southern Cross Road and 1 straight ahead, instead of just 1 now. This will increase capacity by 10% and eliminate the present queue going back to the N11. The on and off lanes at Fassaroe junction will be lengthened to modern standards to encourage faster merging. Traffic lights will be placed on the N11 access ramp to temporally stop traffic merging when there is a slow ‘wave’ on the main road. These will also go green if more than 10 cars are waiting. This technique is used on Urban Motorways in the UK and USA but probably not in Ireland before. The Bray North junction would also be improved with this plan and Dun Laoghaire Council approved this change in 2010. Next time you are sitting in this traffic jam remember the solution has been delayed by the Bray Councillors! Long Term. A study is being done for a long term solution. Probably a third lane and a better and safer junction at Kilmacanogue are needed. I am a member of the Dublin Regional Civic Forum Authority and have got the Regional Planning Guidelines altered to specifically include this scheme; this being one of the few changes made by Councillors to the Guidelines. Money is now Fine Gael will be holding a Civic Forum to scarce but at least if we know the solution and have it in the keep you up to date with happenings in the area, the work being done, Regional Plan then sections can be implemented. answer any suggestions and queries you may have. PLEASE TRY TO COME ALONG: Real-Time Bus Information Kilcoole and Newcastle Civic Forum Monday 5th September at 8 p.m. in St. Patrick’s Hall, Kilcoole Greystones and Delgany Civic Forum A new bus information system is currently on trial in Dublin Monday 19th September at 8 p.m. in Charlesland Golf Club. Centre. Once tested and live it will be spread out to the suburbs. However, only 13 locations are being considered for North Representing Fine Gael in Wicklow, way below the percentage of population in the area. Greystones, Kilcoole, Newcastle, Delgany and Killadreenan: These signs show the next 4 buses arriving at the bus stop and Cllrs. Derek Mitchell, George Jones, Grainne McLoughlin and the time to arrival, similar to DART stations. They are useful James O’Sullivan. especially further out where buses are less frequent and T.D’s Simon Harris, Andrew Doyle and Billy Timmins. passengers wonder if one is coming. They are planned at Greystones DART Station, Blacklion, 8 places in Bray and one in each of Enniskerry and Blessington. I am demanding signs be put up in Charlesland and Kilcoole, both large population centres. Also priority should be given to Eden Gate, Mill Road, Delgany and Newcastle. The test version can be seen on www.rtpi.ie and when live will be available on mobile phones as well as the display signs. I am also pressing for the bus shelter in Charlesland and for the DART information sign to work, both long awaited. Greystones is the only DART station without this sign. Please visit... ww.derekmitchell.ie