Shannon.ie - Area Council Replies September 2006

That this Council would extinguish the right of way that runs over the path at the rear of Tullyglass Square and the houses that run along the Gort Road. (if no services exist in this area )

I wish to reply as follows:

This path was closed by Shannon Development a number of years ago at the request of local residents and in response to anti social behaviour. There is a collector sewer on the pathway. It is important that this remain on public property

Yours sincerely,

Donal Hogan Senior Executive Engineer Transportation & Infrastructure

To ask Clare County council due to excessive speed of a minority of motorists that a ‘slow’ sign be put in place in Knocksaggart, Newmarket on Fergus

I wish to reply as follows:

I will arrange to have a 50km/h repeater speed limit sign erected at this location to advise motorists of the speed limit

Michael Healy Executive Engineer Transportation & Infrastructure

That a report be presented on the reasons for the current difficulties with water supply in the Shannon Electoral Area and what plans are in place to ensure continuity of supply when the source supply is unable to cater for existing demand

I wish to reply as follows:

To ensure a water supply to the Hill Road Bunratty under the present pipework system it is necessary to restrict water supply into Clonmoney Reservoir, and when this restriction is removed the supply to Bunratty and Cratloe is curtailed and Clonmoney Reservoir is allowed to fill unabated. We have been allowing our Reservoir to refill unabated for the last eleven nights due to the fact that it had gone very low, and now have sufficient storage (15% of total) to resume normal supply to Bunratty/Cratloe

We have commenced altering the existing pipework system such that the supply to Hill Road, Bunratty & Cratloe will be independent of the main supply pipe into the Reservoir. This independent system along with booster pumps will be functional on Wednesday 20th Sept. and will increase our capacity to keep the reservoir levels at a reasonable level and ensure unrestricted supply to Hill Road, Bunratty & Cratloe at all times under existing demands

There is a 200mm watermain to be laid from Ballycasey to Bunratty as part of the Newmarket on Fergus WSS Contracts 3 & 4, which will compliment the supply to Bunratty village and Cratloe/Wood Road and this contract should commence within six months

Liam Murphy Executive Engineer Water Services

That Clare County Council put in place warning signs for drivers entering the Tola Park roads concerning the safety of children

I wish to reply as follows:

Appropriate signage will be put in place as soon as possible

Donal Hogan Senior Executive Engineer Transportation & Infrastructure

Repair and upgrade footpaths in Shannon Road estate, Sixmilebridge as these paths are in a very dangerous state

I wish to reply as follows:

Arrangements will be made for replacement of defective sections of these footpaths as soon as possible

Donal Hogan Senior Executive Engineer Transportation & Infrastructure

That this Council would be provided with a fully report on the implications and dangers to the public on the recent fire/ smoke incidents at Shannon Environmental Services/ Enva

I wish to reply as follows:

Clare County Council’s Shannon and Ennis Fire Brigades attended an incident in Enva (formerly Shannon Environmental Services) in Smithstown Industrial Estate on 18th July 2006

This incident, a fire was confined to a storage area on site, and was brought under control quickly by the Fire Service. After the incident, Clare County Council’s Environment Section and Fire Authority both carried out inspections of the area that was damaged

The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) having been notified, attended the facility and inspected the incident area on the 19th and 20th July 2006

The Environment Section, while not having a direct influence on the premises, due to it having an IPC licence from the EPA, served an Enforcement Notice on the facility, to provide for no additional waste acceptance or treatment on the site until the site had been deemed to be safe by the Health and Safety Authority

The Fire Authority served a Closure Notice on the building involved in the fire, and this building is to remain closed until it has been upgraded to the satisfaction of the Fire Authority. In addition to this the Fire Authority requested that ENVA carry out a complete Fire Safety Risk Assessment on the premises and provide a draft report on 22nd September

We are currently awaiting a response from the EPA and the HSA and following on from this, together with input from the Environment Section, further works may be required to be carried out

Adrian Kelly Chief Fire Officer, Fire & Rescue Service

To ask Clare County Council to review the pedestrian crossing and the existing traffic calming measures in Ballycar Road, Newmarket on Fergus

I wish to reply as follows:

The raised pedestrian crossing and the speed table on the Ballycar Road in Newmarket were designed and constructed in accordance with the Traffic Management Guidelines Manual issued by Department of the Environment and Local Government, the Department of Transport and The Dublin Transportation Office. The levels and layout of the raised pedestrian crossing and speed table on the Ballycar Road in Newmarket on Fergus comply with best practice principles in the area of traffic calming and are effective in reducing speed and improving road safety. I acknowledge that traffic calming in the form of vertical deflections are unpopular with some people mainly as a result of unwelcome side affects such as driver discomfort and noise. However the benefits of such schemes in terms of accident and speed reduction far outweigh these side effects

Michael Healy, Executive Engineer Transportation & Infrastructure

That the Airport Symbol be placed on the directional information sign at Ballycasey Roundabout

I wish to reply as follows:

Directions for Airport will be incorporated in the layout of the directional information sign located at Ballycasey roundabout. Motorists will be directed towards the town centre, where further directional information signs exist for the airport

Micheal Healy, Executive Engineer Transportation & Infrastructure

That the public walkways adjacent to the River Shannon from Drumgeely to Illaunmanagh Point to be cut back and made more user friendly as parts of these public walkways are now in a very bad state

I wish to reply as follows:

I will arrange to have this work carried out as soon as possible

Donal Hogan, Senior Executive Engineer, Transportation & Infrastructure

Repair and upgrade the footpaths in Mount Ivers Estate, Sixmilebridge as these paths are in a very dangerous state

I wish to reply as follows:

Arrangements will be made to carry out repairs to the footpaths in this housing estate as soon as possible

Donal Hogan Senior Executive Engineer Transportation & Infrastructure

That this council confirm if they were asked by Respond Housing Agency to reduce/remove the Development Levies at any stage on their proposed development in Tullyvarraga. Please confirm date of requests and actions or proposed actions taken by Clare County Council

I wish to reply as follows:

A submission for compliance with conditions of planning permission P01-1579 was received from the Architects for the Respond Housing Association on 3rd August 2006 and included in this submission was a request for a waiving of the development contributions included in the decision of An Bord Pleanala to grant permission for the development

This request is being considered at present in conjunction with the documentation submitted for compliance with other conditions of the permission. As Respond is a voluntary housing association, it meets the criteria for exemption from development contributions as set out in paragraph 12 (i) of the Development Contribution Scheme i.e. "Development by or on behalf of a voluntary organisation which is designed or intended to be used for social, recreational, educational or religious purposes ... and is not to we used mainly for profit or gain.... Totally exempt

The notification will issue shortly to the Respond Housing Association

Carmel Greene Senior Executive Officer Planning Department

To ask Clare County Council to put a plan in place to solve the on going problems with sewerage at Loughash Cross (opposite Tom Mulqueens residence)

I wish to reply as follows:

The wastewater network in Newmarket on Fergus is a combined sewer in the older residential areas of the village and this gives rise to dramatically increased flows at times of continuously heavy rain. All recent and ongoing developments have separate systems for waste water and storm sewers. We have decreased the incidence of surcharging by a number of measures. We intend to take the following additional measures to reduce the surcharging at the manhole at Loughash Cross:

We will continue to monitor the situation and take additional measures as required

Liam Murphy, Executive Engineer, Water Services

That an update be provided on what progress is being made with new / replacement Street Name Signs for Shannon

I wish to reply as follows:

An order was placed with a sign manufacture last month to supply and deliver 60 street name signs for Shannon town. I expect to receive delivery of these signs within two weeks after which they will be erected

Michael Healy, Executive Engineer Transportation & Infrastructure

That Clare County council make safe the very dangerous situation that exists in relation to the junction of the Rossmanagher Road in Sixmilebridge leading on to the Shannon Road. (a) proper signage (b) Road lining (c) Pedestrian safety and accessibility to village

I wish to reply as follows:

It is my intention to carry out road improvements to the Rossmanagher Road between it’s T-junction with the R471 Regional Road and the Rowan View housing estate and I will be making provision in next year’s estimates for this work to be undertaken. I am hopeful that preparatory works can commence within the next few weeks, which will comprise of extending the concrete footpath from the Rowan View housing estate, setting back a number of ESB poles, providing ducting for public lighting and providing a surface water drainage system before road widening and resurfacing works take place next year. I will immediately arrange to have the road swept, the T-junction properly defined using reflective cones and directional signage improved as necessary

Michael Healy, Executive Engineer Transportation & Infrastructure

Requesting that graveyards in the Shannon Electoral Area will be provided with a water tap as it is a great hardship on people visiting graves and watering flowers to have to carry large water vessels

I wish to reply as follows:

The larger burial grounds in the area namely Illaunamanagh, Lemenagh and Sixmilebridge have a water connection provided by Clare County Council. Consideration will be given on an individual basis to any request for a water connection at any of the other burial grounds in the area. I have investigated the situation at Ballysheen Burial Ground and found that there is no watermain at this burial ground to facilitate a connection

Donal Hogan Senior Executive Engineer Transportation & Infrastructure