MINUTES OF MEETING OF BALLINA ELECTORAL AREA ... - …



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Councillors Present : Cllr. Jarlath Munnelly, Cathaoirleach

Cllr. Eddie Staunton

Cllr. Seamus Weir

Cllr. Gerry Ginty

Cllr. Michelle Mulherin

Cllr. Annie May Reape

Cllr. Mary Kelly, Méara, Ballina Town Council

Officials Present : Mr Paddy Mahon, Director of Services

Mr Noel Burke, Senior Engineer

Mr Paul Benson, Senior Executive Officer

Mr Paul Dolan, Senior Executive Engineer

Ms Teresa Durkin, District Ex. Engineer

Mr John McMyler, Senior Executive Planner

Mr Declan Turnbull, Dept. Community & Enterprise

Ms Mary Gordon, Senior Staff Officer

Others : Mr Paul Hyland, Regional Design Office, MCC.

Mr Tony McNulty, Senior Engineer, Reg. Design Office, MCC.

ITEM 1:

TO ADOPT MINUTES

OF BALLINA ELECTORAL Proposed by Cllr. Seamus Weir,

AREA COMMITTEE Seconded by Cllr. Annie May Reape,

MEETING HELD ON

4th SEPT, 2009. AND RESOLVED:

“That the Minutes of previous Ballina Electoral Area

Committee Meeting, held on 4th September, 2009 in the Council Chamber, Ballina Civic Offices, be adopted as

circulated”.

ITEM 2:

TO ADOPT MINUTES

OF BALLINA ELECTORAL Proposed by Cllr. Seamus Weir

AREA COMMITTEE Seconded by Cllr. Annie May Reape

MEETING HELD ON

4th NOV. 2009. AND RESOLVED:

“That the Minutes of the previous Ballina Electoral Area

Committee Meeting, held on 4th November, 2009 ,in the Council Chamber, Ballina Civic Offices, be adopted as

circulated”.

ITEM 3:

TO ADOPT THE Mr Paul Hyland and Mr Tony McNulty of Mayo Co Co.’s

PREFERRED ROUTE Regional Design Office provided a brief outline of the public

OPTION FOR N59 consultation process which had prevailed to date,

BALLINA-CROSSMOLINA and advised that the current stage was the penultimate step

ROAD. in the process of determining the Preferred Route Option on the

Ballina-Crossmolina Road.

Mr Hyland reminded Members the public consultation phase had commenced in July, 2008, and 44 No. Submissions

had been received. Following consideration of these by the Regional Design Office, this new route, ‘Route E’ as shown on the Map, extending over 12.2km, had been conceived, as an amalgam of the original 4 No. options which had been presented to the public during the public consultation process. The proposed route would comprise of existing road re-alignment as well as an offline new road at Abbeytown, Crossmolina, and Slievenagark, Ardagh, Ballina.

A lengthy debate ensued on the impact of the adoption of the proposed route at this time, which was scheduled for inclusion on the Agenda of Mayo County Council’s Monthly Meeting to be

held in February 2010.

Cllr. Eddie Staunton offered to submit a list of names of concerned / effected landowners, to Mr Tony McNulty, Senior Engineer and

Mr Paul Hyland, Project Manager for the Scheme, agreed to hold a Public Information Evening, in advance of the Council’s February 2010 Meeting, to enable all adjacent landowners to voice their concerns or objections to the proposed route.

Mr McNulty, Senior Engineer, also advised that details of the Public Information Evening would be publicised in the media, as well as included on their website, and he invited the Elected Members to spread the news of the impending Meeting in the locality.

Proposed by Cllr. Michelle Mulherin

Seconded by Cllr. Gerry Ginty

AND RESOLVED

“That the proposed Route Option E, as circulated, be adopted

by the Members of Ballina Electoral Area Committee”.

ITEM 4:

TO NOTE FUNDING Mr Paul Benson, Senior Executive Officer, informed

ALLOCATION FROM members of ERDF funding totalling €1.4m which Mayo Co Council

THE EUROPEAN had received in conjunction with Ballina Town Council, for

REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT the following projects in Ballina Town, arising as a result of the:

FUND. town’s designated ‘Hub’ status :

1. Refurbishment of Pearse Street, Ballina €500,000 Grant;

2. Creation of link Road between Pearse St and Market Rd. €300,000 Grant;

3. Refurbishment of Provincial Bank premises to accommodate the Jackie Clarke Collection €600,000 grant.

Members complimented both the Contractor and Council personnel on the quality of their workmanship and the efficiency shown in undertaking the Pearse Street works to date.

ITEM 5:

PLANNING REPORT. Members noted the Planning List as circulated, which.

contained only one application : Ref . P09/888.

ITEM 6 :

HOUSING REPORT.: Mr Paul Benson, S.E.O., informed Members of the financial position with regard to Housing Grants including the total funding allocated to date, together with details of the value of Grants awaiting approval in Ballina area. Assuming that each Electoral Area had

the same level of Grant applications waiting in abeyance, it was

extremely unlikely that any potential funding allocation on a county- wide basis would be sufficient to cover the extent of all these applications. Consequently, the outlook for 2010 was bleak.

In the matter of Social Housing, Mr Benson confirmed that there was no funding available for construction and the DoEHLG were

promoting the option of Leasing to meet Social Housing needs.

Likewise, there was no funding available for Voluntary Housing

Projects but the St. Patrick’s Estate Redevelopment Project would

proceed with the contract works commencing in January 2010.

Mr Benson also informed Members of the introduction of the Housing Act, 2009, providing a framework for a more strategic approach by Local Authorities to the delivery and management of housing services, in the current climate. It provides the statutory basis for many of these new initiatives, including the Leasing of property.

ITEM 7:

ROADS REPORT. Mr Paul Dolan, Senior Executive Engineer, confirmed that the 2009

Roadworks Programme was nearing completion. These works included Pearse Street Refurbishment Project which was advancing

well, with works scheduled to re-commence in late January 2010;

- The road improvements on N59 between Fenian Row and Gurteens;,

- Tree planting at Gurteens Roundabout;

- Road improvements on Killala road, from junction with Circular Road;

- LIS almost finished and the NOM job at Culleens National School which was virtually completed.

Members complimented Ballina Area Office Engineering Personnel and their Staff, on their great work during 2009, despite the financial constraints under which they had to operate. They also noted that the Outdoor workforce had been reduced by 5 with 4 No. recent retirements, and one bereavement, in 2009. Retiring Staff were extended good wishes for an enjoyable retirement.

Mr Noel Burke, Senior Engineer, acknowledged the cutbacks which had applied in 2009, and cautioned Members that further reductions in resources (both in funding and Staffing levels) were expected in 2010, which would undoubtedly impact adversely upon the workload and level of service which the Council had provided heretofore. He agreed that traffic controls were necessary on Killala road and that Mayo County Council would endeavour to seek funding for the works required.

Management responded to miscellaneous queries raised by Members.

ITEM 8:

COMMUNITY & Mr Declan Turnbull, Development Officer, Dept.

ENTERPRISE of Community & Enterprise, provided Members with

REPORT. an update on developments within his Department :-

1. ESB Development Fund applications being processed,

and applicants from the Killala, Ardagh and Crossmolina area

were encouraged to apply for financial assistance towards

“general” entrepreneurial projects

2. Loop Walks now nearing completion

3. Burmese New Year Celebrations due to commence on 16th

December, with an event at the Ballina Family Resource Centre at Abbey Street, Ballina. Further information could be obtained from the website :

ITEM 9 :

NOTICE OF MOTION: “That this Council condemns Iarnrod Eireann for its blatant discrimination in providing an early bird train service to part only of County Mayo and calls on it as a State Company to honour government policy and in the interest of fairplay to the North West of the County to immediately provide such a service from  Ballina and Foxford to Dublin in line with the Westport - Dublin early bird service which is now operating”.

Cllr. Michelle Mulherin

Cllr. Mulherin outlined her reason for including this Motion on

the Agenda, and requested the Members support to

encourage Iarnród Eireann to provide this facility to the people of Ballina and surrounding areas, as this was a Government subsidised transport system.

Proposed by Cllr. Michelle Mulherin

Seconded by Cllr. Eddie Staunton

AND RESOLVED :

”That Ballina Electoral Area Committee write to Iarnród Eireann, expressing the members dissatisfaction with the exclusion of Ballina

from the “early bird train service”, and requesting that this matter be rectified immediately”.

This concluded the business of the Meeting.

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MINUTES OF BALLINA ELECTORAL AREA

COMMITTEE MEETING HELD IN THE COUNCIL

CHAMBER, BALLINA CIVIC OFFICES, ON

FRIDAY, 11th DECEMBER, 2009, AT 11.00am

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