COUNCILLOR PETER COYLE, Fingal County Council, Ireland

Peter Coyle welcomes you to his website. In June 2009, Peter was re-elected a County Councillor on Fingal County Council, representing the Howth-Malahide Electoral Area. Peter holds the prestigious position of Cathaoirleach (Chairman) of the Dublin Regional Authority. This is the representative body of all four Dublin local authorities.

Peter is also the current Deputy Mayor of Fingal for 2010-2011. He also served as Cathaoirleach (Chairperson/Mayor) of Fingal Council for the year 2004-2005.

Future Cemetery Provision needs new Strategy and Legislation

A current planning application for a new private cemetery and crematorium in Balgriffin raises a number of issues for the Dublin region that need addressing according to local Labour Councillor Peter Coyle. "The construction of cemeteries should not be the business of speculators or short term profiteering", according to Peter.

The current planning application is made on behalf of Ulster Bank on lands in receivership. The site is in St Doolagh's Park in the grounds adjacent to St Doolagh's nursing home, and immediately north of the council run Fingal Cemetery. The proposed entrance will be opposite to the historical St Dolough's Church. The application seeks permission for approximately 3000 plots in a burial ground, a crematorium, and a Remembrance Garden.

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Dublin Bus Announce Proposed Service Changes

Dublin Bus has announced proposals for services in the Malahide, Portmarnock and Howth Road QBC areas as part of Network Direct. These service changes cover the following existing routes: 29a, 31, 31b, 32, 32a, 32b, 32x

§ Route 29a will be renamed and called route 29 and will be extended via the Grange Road and Willie Nolan Road to Baldoyle
§ Significant increase in services from Baldoyle and the Grange Road
§ Route 32/a/b will be amalgamated and operate as route 32 terminating in Malahide Green and operating via the Coast Road, Baldoyle and Raheny to the city centre
§ Improved frequency of services between Portmarnock and Malahide via the Coast Road
§ All Howth Road services will depart Abbey Street Lower with integrated timetables
§ Route 32x will continue to provide direct services to the South East of the City and UCD Belfield
§ Route 31 will continue to operate via the Village side of Howth Head
§ Route 31b will be renamed 31a and will operate on the South of Howth Head with all trips operating via Thormanby Road, Carrickbrack Road and Greenfield Road to Sutton Cross, Raheny and City Centre

Consultation for the above proposals will close Friday 25th February 2011.

Further Details are available on Dublin Bus website at:

www.dublinbus.ie/en/Network-Direct/Network-Direct-Phase-2/Howth-Road/

New Malahide Reservoir gets go-ahead

Given the problems of water supply in the Malahide and Portmarnock areas, news that the new reservoir in Malahide doubling the present capacity will be in operation by next October is very welcome, according to local Labour Councillor Peter Coyle. Cllr Coyle raised the matter at a recent Malahide-Howth Area Committee Meeting, where he asked for the proposed timescale for the tender process and the construction and commissioning of the new reservoir at Seamount, serving the Malahide general area. The Manager in his response stated:
"The Malahide Water Supply Scheme-Malahide Reservoir Contract is approved as a Serviced Land Initiative (SLI) Contract to proceed to construction stage under the 2010-2012 Water Services Investment Programme (WSIP).
Draft contract tender documents have just been received and will be reviewed by the Water Design Section. A pre-qualification procedure was followed to streamline the tender process and a report is expected to be issued by the Consultants in mid-January 2011.

Tender documents should be finalised and ready for issue by mid-February 2011. The tender period is 40 calendar days and, allowing for a further two months of evaluation, construction would be expected to begin in early June subject to the necessary finances being available.

It has been estimated that the construction would be complete in four months, which would indicate completion and commissioning by the end of September or start of October 2011."

According to Cllr Peter Coyle, the original planning approval for this project under a Part XI process was agreed by Fingal Co Council in April 2007, when some concerns were taken into account in relation to the possible impacts in Seamount during the construction of the new reservoir.

Cllr Coyle states that the fact that the project is now at last going ahead four years after being agreed by the Council is very welcome news and relief for businesses and residents of the Malahide and Portmarnock areas.

Last Red Squirrel Population Stronghold in Dublin to be Protected

The Red Squirrel population on the Howth peninsula is the last stronghold and viable population of Red Squirrels in Dublin. This population is under threat of extinction by the invasion of the grey squirrel, according to local Labour Councillor Peter Coyle. It is well known that the grey squirrel has decimated the existence of the native red squirrel in east Ireland. Unlike Red Squirrel populations elsewhere in Dublin, those on Howth could possibly be protected due to the natural narrow entry corridor for squirrel movement at Sutton Cross. Control in this area would prevent future invasion. Fingal County Council wishes to set up a project with the aim of removing the Grey Squirrels from the Howth peninsula by means of a trapping regime. This project would also include the preparation of a report with recommendations on habitat improvements for the Red Squirrel in the various woodland areas on the peninsula. The project is subject to funding approval from the Heritage Council, which will report back in February next year on the success of the application. According to Cllr Peter Coyle, who raised the issue at a recent Council meeting, the protection of the red squirrel population is important for the heritage of Howth, Fingal and the Dublin region, and he hopes that the project will get appropriate support.

Fingal Flood Risk Management Study
Flooding from rivers and/or sea is a major factor impacting on the general Malahide Electoral Area. A major study (FEM FRAMS) has been undertaken to address problems that have already occurred and potential future problems. The views are now being sought ahead of a formal process that will take place in 2011.

Mapping of river basins and areas of potential flooding has been carried out. Assessment of problems and proposed remedial action already identified include for:

South Portmarnock…"Rehabilitate and raise existing defences and flood defence
embankments"

Malahide (Bissets Strand/The Green)…"Flood defence embankments, walls and
demountable defences"

Kinsealy Court (Gaybrook Stream)…… Aspen…"Improve channel conveyance"

Balgriffin (Cuckoo & Mayne Rivers)….."Improve channel conveyance and flood defence
embankments"

Remedial actions are proposed in the FEM FRAMS proposals. However responses from the general public ahead of the publication of the draft report are requested at this stage.

The views of stakeholders and the general public are highly important in this process and have been sought throughout the study. The public is now being consulted at this key stage, ahead of the preparation of the Flood Risk Management Plan, to both inform people of the identified flood risks and to seek their views and feedback on the preferred flood risk management options.
Public Information and Consultation Days will be held at four locations throughout the Fingal East-Meath Catchment. Members of the project team will be present to discuss the work undertaken to date, the flood maps, and the flood risk management options with potential to alleviate flood risk for those areas at significant risk from flooding.
The first of these is to be held in the County Hall Swords on Monday next, 22nd November (3.00-8.00 PM). It is important that representatives from areas impacted view the current reports and make their views known relating to remedial actions.
Further information regarding the FEM FRAMS including the newsletters, maps and reports are available from the project website. www.fingaleastmeathframs.ie

An Bord Pleanála refuses Aldi Store for Portmarnock

Councillor Peter Coyle has welcomed the refusal by An Bord Pleanála for an Aldi store on the scenic coastal location of the White Sands Hotel, Portmarnock. In March, Fingal Co Council had granted permission for a store. Cllr Coyle was extremely critical of that decision, and led a campaign to overturn it by Appeals to An Bord. There was major outrage amongst the general public about the decision. Cllr Peter Coyle (Cathaoirleach of Fingal Co Council in 2005 during the adoption of the current Development Plan) had stated that planning permission at the White Sands Hotel site was clearly contrary to the objectives of the County Development Plan, and had appealed to the Manager on a number of occasions to become directly involved in the case, given that he was Director of Planning during the adoption of the Development Plan.

Now An Bord Pleanála has endorsed Cllr Coyle's position. They have given detailed reasons summed up by:
1) Inappropriate location
2) Contrary to the County Development Plan's Local Objective 225 ("To retain the primary use of hotel on this site".)

Cllr Peter Coyle had stated all along that the zoning and the Local Objective shown in the 2005 Development Plan for this site was miss-interpreted. There is no reference to a Suburban Centre at this location in the Written Statement of the 2005-2011 County Development Plan.

Cllr Peter Coyle is pleased that the points raised in the six Appeals by himself, the Portmarnock Community Association, RGDATA, and three other locals, have been accepted by the Board. Common sense has prevailed.

Read An Bord Pleanála's Decision »

Happy Return of Blue Flag to Portmarnock

There was major excitement in Portmarnock relating to the return of the Blue Flag to the wonderful popular Velvet Strand, according to local Labour Councillor Peter Coyle. An Taisce, in conjunction with Fingal Co Council, hosted the 2010 International Blue Flag & National Green Coast Awards ceremony in Portmarnock on June 14th. Minister John Gormley presented the awards.

The Portmarnock beach met Blue Flag water quality standards in 2008 and 2009 and so was eligible for the Blue Flag this year, according to Cllr Peter Coyle, who is a regular swimmer on this beach.

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Old Portmarnock Graveyard appears to be in Fingal Co Council ownership

After much debate over years about the ownership of the Old graveyard in Portmarnock (adjacent to the Portmarnock Hotel Golf Links), new evidence indicates that Fingal Co Council has inherited ownership. This evidence has been brought forward by the National Monument Service in the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

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Councillor calls Planning Permission for Aldi Store "Stupid"

Local Portmarnock Labour Councillor Peter Coyle has strongly criticised the granting of Planning Permission for an Aldi store on the scenic coastal location of the White Sands Hotel, Portmarnock. He states that he is disappointed that the County Manager did not become directly involved in such a silly and stupid decision, which is clearly contrary to the Fingal County Development Plan. Cllr Peter Coyle (Cathaoirleach in 2005 during the adoption of the current Development Plan) had appealed to the Manager on a number of occasions to become directly involved in the case, given that he was Director of Planning during the adoption of the Development Plan. His non-involvement shows that the name 'Manager' in the "Managers Report" of planning files is meaningless.

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Proposed Portmarnock Scout and Girl Guide Den

There is currently a plan on public display for the proposed construction of a Den for the Portmarnock Scout and Girl Guide Groups on Fingal Co Council lands in a woodland site adjoining the Portmarnock Sports and Leisure Club. This application is undergoing a formal local authority process in accordance with Part XI of the Planning and Development Acts 2000 and Part 8 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001. The development comprises of scout and guide halls, meeting room, kitchen, office, store, toilets and outside assembly area together with Public Toilets and Council Ranger's office and all associated site works including access for emergency vehicles and the upgrade of existing
woodland trail to provide pedestrian access from Blackwood Lane.
Plans and particulars of the development are available for inspection until Tuesday 13th April 2010 at:
i) The Offices of Fingal County Council, County Hall, Swords.
ii) The Portmarnock Sports and Leisure Club, Blackwood Lane, Portmarnock.
iii) Fingal Co Council's website: www.fingalcoco.ie/

The Portmarnock Scout and Girl Guide Groups, who have a very professional team, entered into partnership with Fingal Co Council to deliver this project. Fingal Co Council is providing a lease on the land, as well as architectural support to the project. Funding of €350,000 was provided formally to Fingal Co Council specifically for this project by Sherman Oaks Ltd as a community project contribution in association with the South Portmarnock Local Area Plan (LAP). The Portmarnock Scout and Girl Guide Groups are funding the balance of the project.

Loss of DCU Bus Service

Local Labour Councillor Peter Coyle is disappointed with the ending of the 105 Bus service to DCU. Dublin Bus has advised him that this service is not to continue because of cutbacks in services. This bus service has provided a direct link for Malahide, Portmarnock, Baldoyle, and Sutton to DCU, with one service in the morning and two in the afternoon. Cllr Peter Coyle was a major advocate for the introduction of this bus service in the first place. He sees it as a major investment in education, and is disappointed to hear of its recent axing. This is a result of an unnecessary cut in support to the operation of Dublin Bus and public transport by the current Government.

Call for Local Flooding Problems to be addressed

Cllr Peter Coyle has been to the forefront in calling for urgent action to address local flooding problems, particularly associated with the local rivers including:

• The Cuckoo and Moyne Rivers that impact on Balgriffin.
• The Sluice River that impacts on Kinsealy, Old Portmarnock, and Portmarnock village.
• The Gaybrook Stream that impacts on Kinsealy Court and Malahide
  

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DAA Defies new Noise Control Plan

Dublin Airport Authority is defying new EU Directives and proposed new national Noise Regulations in their proposed application for a change in two Planning Conditions associated with the proposed new major Runway, according to Labour Councillor Peter Coyle. He is calling on the DAA not to proceed with their Planning Application to allow for unlimited night-time flying. This will adversely impact on local communities and cause sleep deprivation and is not sustainable, according to the local Councillor.

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Call for Major Upgrade of Footpaths in Malahide

At a recent Fingal Council Meeting local Labour Councillor Peter Coyle called for a footpath improvement programme be drawn up for Malahide Village, including present damaged sections in New Street, The Mall, and Strand Street, as well as the rising paving around the trees in the village. Peter pointed out that the Council could face major compensation claims if the problems with the paths were not addressed. The Council carried out some pilot work in relation to the problem of the rising paving associated with roots of tree. This pilot work was successful, but the Council did not continue the work in other problem locations on New Street and Church Street.

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