Council Briefs: Electric barbecues in parks, cuts to active travel funding, and more

Electric barbecues in parks

Dublin City Council is soon to pilot an electric barbecue at an undisclosed location in one of its parks, says the chief executive’s monthly report for January.

In May 2018, after the Office of Public Works moved to ban barbecuing in Phoenix Park, some councillors noted that it wasn’t allowed in council parks either – and suggested that should be revisited.

January’s report says that the council is considering whether it should provide electric barbecues in parks for public use – hence the hotplate pilot.

“Electric hotplate installed in one of our parks (not yet public),” says the report. “Trial due to go live early 2024″.

The pilot – under the Dublin City Council BETA stream of projects – was funded by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform under the 2022 innovation fund, it says.

NTA cuts budget for active travel

Dublin City Council is reassessing which active travel projects it will pursue in the coming year, after its budget from the National Transport Authority (NTA) has fallen.

At a meeting of the council on 8 January, Fine Gael Councillor Naoise Ó Muirí flagged the change mentioned in the chief executive’s monthly report for December.

The 2024 funding from the NTA is likely to be down from the 2023 approved amount, the report says, and “the reduction could be in the region of 20%”.

“The Active Travel Office is currently aligning the 2024 works programme to match this reduction and will confirm the viable programme in Jan 2024,” that report said.

“This is very very surprising,” said Ó Muirí at the 8 January meeting.

“We have just ramped up on our ability to do active travel work,” he said. “To be facing into an up-to-20 percent cut in capital funding from the NTA, I think is a real issue.”

Andy Walsh, a senior engineer with Dublin City Council, said that the final budget is not yet confirmed but he is expecting a cut.

“We’ve only got indications yet on a draft basis of funding for next year, it’s not finally confirmed,” said Walsh. Other councils are also facing cuts, he said.

The cuts are disappointing, he said, but the council can still pursue additional funding throughout the year. “We have a lot of green, shovel-ready projects at hand if funds become available.”

Other councillors wondered what was behind the cuts. “This is a drastic reduction,” said independent Councillor Damien O’Farrell.

Green Party Councillor Donna Cooney said she couldn’t understand it, given there had been no cut to NTA funding from the central government. “We know that there wasn’t any reduction this year.”

“The NTA is currently finalising its 2024 active travel allocations for Local Authorities,” says a spokesperson for the NTA. “We expect this work to be complete in the coming weeks.”

Ó Muirí asked the Lord Mayor, Fíanna Fáil Councillor Daithí de Róiste, to write to the NTA to ask them why the funding is being cut. That was agreed.

Damage to Fairview Park

Fine Gael Councillor Ray McAdam tabled an emergency motion calling on the council to upgrade Fairview Park.

The motion also called on An Garda Síochána to put a policing plan in place for the park, following damage to the playing pitches caused by motorised vehicles last Saturday night.

The council agreed McAdam’s motion, which condemned the vandalism and anti-social behaviour in the park and called on the council to ensure that the football clubs that use the Fairview pitches are accommodated at alternative pitches in the meantime.

At the council meeting, McAdam said there are issues with drugs and public urination as well as the use of motorised vehicles in Fairview Park. “It is now getting to the stage where families and individuals are not prepared to use the park.”

“I think we need a concerted plan to work together to develop a strategy for the park,” said Social Democrats Councillor Catherine Stocker.

In the past, council officials have proposed plans for more facilities in Fairview Park including tearooms, a library, toilets and changing facilities, said Stocker. What was going on with those? she asked.

Fíanna Fáil Councillor Deirdre Heney said the previous council chief executive, who retired last autumn, agreed to assign €50,000 to upgrade the skatepark there.

She asked when the young people who use the skatepark can expect that work to happen.

Green Party Councillor Donna Cooney said she is involved in a clean-up group in Fairview Park and walks through it regularly. She doesn’t agree that it is rundown, she said. “There have been huge improvements in Fairview Park.”

Anthony Flynn, an assistant chief executive with Dublin City Council wrote to McAdam on Tuesday to say that the damage done to Fairview Park can be fixed.  The council’s parks department will carry out the works as soon as possible.

The council has made changes to Fairview Park to increase accessibility for cycling and walking but those changes meant that a vehicle was able to enter the park, said Flynn.

“DCC Parks & Active Travel will meet to consider options to reduce/eliminate any further incursions into the park by unauthorised vehicles and make necessary adjustments at the appropriate location,” he wrote.