Thanks for your support

Published
by
roderic
on June 8, 2009
in Blog, Planning and Politics
. 1 Comment

I want to say a big thank you to everyone who voted for me in Friday’s local elections and everyone who helped out in my campaign. I’d like to say a particular thanks to the members of the Dublin West Green Party, my campaign manager Barra and my family.

 

Obviously I am very disappointed not to have taken a seat on this occasion. I take comfort from the fact that I almost doubled my share of first preference votes and on the final count 1 was only 600 votes short of taking a seat.

 

I think the fact that the Green Party failed to win any seats on Fingal County Council is deeply concerning, particularly with the new Fingal County Development Plan being drawn up. On the doors over the last few weeks, people were very supportive of the ideas I was proposing for inclusion in the new Development Plan, including no rezoning of land for housing in the Dublin 15 area, a new section on Safe Routes to School and an emphasis on new community facilities.

 

Unfortunately, I will not be in a position to directly input these proposals into the Development Plan as a member of the Council. However, I fully intend to campaign on these and other quality of life issues for residents of Dublin 15. The need for proper planning is the reason I stood for election in the first place and I intend to continue to work on this and other issues as a member of the Green Party over the next few years.

 

Thanks again for your support.

 

Roderic

O’Gorman calls for changes to Castleknock village zoning as part of the new Fingal County Development Plan

Published
by
roderic
on June 2, 2009
in Castleknock, Planning and Press Releases
. 0 Comments

01/06/09

 

 

Green Party Castleknock ward candidate, Roderic O’Gorman has called for amendments to be made to the zoning of the ‘Flower shop’ site in the centre of Castleknock village as part of the new Fingal County Development Plan.

 

“Many residents of Castleknock were deeply concerned by the proposal over the last year to build a high density commercial and residential development in the centre of Castleknock village, on the ‘Flower shop’ site. Along with many residents of the village, I objected to this development and I was delighted to see the application withdrawn a few months ago”, stated Roderic O’Gorman.

 

“The next step is to work to ensure that such an inappropriate development cannot progress on this site in the future. If I am elected to Fingal County Council on Friday I will seek to use the new Fingal County Development Plan to achieve this. Specifically, I will seek to have a new map based local objective applied to the Flower Shop site which would require a revised Urban Centre Strategy to be prepared for the village centre based on genuine consultation with local residents”.

 

“This new local objective would require that the revised Urban Centre Strategy include appropriate types of uses for the site, and also a maximum building height which would respect the village character of Castleknock. There would also be a requirement for a detailed traffic management plan for the village centre”.

 

“The revision of the Fingal County Development Plan is one of the most significant tasks that the newly elected Council will undertake. It offers the opportunity to shape planning across Fingal and Dublin 15 in particular, up until 2017. If I am elected on Friday, I shall use the development plan to address past planning mistakes and ensure new mistakes are not made at sites like the centre of Castleknock village”, concluded Roderic O’Gorman.

 

 

Ends

 

Further Information

Roderic O’Gorman: 087 417 9777

 

New Bill to tackle noise pollution will be of benefit to Dublin 15 – O’Gorman

Published
by
roderic
on June 2, 2009
in Anti-Social Behaviour, Community Issues and Press Releases
. 0 Comments

30/05/09

 

 

A new Noise Bill which is being produced by Minister for the Environment, John Gormley TD, has been welcomed by Castleknock ward Green Party candidate, Roderic O’Gorman who says it will be of significant benefit to many people living in Dublin 15.

 

“As I have been knocking on doors over the last 18 months, many people have raised concerns with me regarding noise pollution. It maybe a noisy neighbour having late night parties or a house alarm that is always sounding, or a barking dog. Whatever the cause, noise pollution can severely reduce a person’s enjoyment of their home”, stated Roderic O’Gorman.

 

“The new Noise Bill that is currently being prepared will give local authorities enhanced powers to fine those guilty of causing noise pollution. It will also give local authorities powers to deal with house alarms and turn them off it they persist in sounding”.

 

“The key objective of the legislation is go give one body – local authorities – the lead role in dealing with noise pollution rather than the current situation where a number of different bodies such as the Gardai, HSE etc deal with different aspects of noise pollution”.

 

“For too long, noise pollution has been regarded as of a lesser importance as regards other types of pollution or anti-social behaviour. This new bill will give extensive new powers to local authorities to deal with this issue”, concluded Roderic O’Gorman.

 

 

Ends

 

Further Information

Roderic O’Gorman: 087 417 9777

New Planning Bill will tackle many of the planning problems faced in Dublin 15 – O’Gorman

Published
by
roderic
on June 2, 2009
in Education, Planning and Press Releases
. 0 Comments

30/05/09

 

 

Green Party Castleknock ward candidate, Roderic O’Gorman has welcomed the publication of a new Planning Bill by the Minister for the Environment, John Gormley TD. O’Gorman stated that the bill contained new provisions that were designed to tackle many of the planning problems that had been encountered over the last fifteen years.

 

“I am delighted to see the publication of this new Planning Bill. It will make a large number of key changes to the existing law and tackle many of the problems currently within the planning process”, stated Roderic O’Gorman.

 

“The provision of schools has been the area where Dublin 15 has suffered most as a result of bad planning and greed by developers. The new bill addresses school site provision in a number of ways. All new commercial developments will be subject to financial levies which will be ring fenced for the provision of new school facilities for the local community. Further, local authorities must when assessing new planning applications, be able to identify appropriate school sites and facilities for at least every 200 new residential units proposed”.

 

“The new bill also takes measures to ensure that councillors do not ‘over-zone’ land. Planning Authorities will be unable to zone land for development in a manner which is not consistent with national policy. This will prevent over zoning and will prohibit developers and vested interests having an improper undue influence on the councillors during the zoning of land. Also, councillors will be strictly forbidden from including last minute zoning in development plans or local area plans at Council Meetings which have not been subject to prior public consultation and scrutiny”.

 

“The new Planning Bill contains a wide range of other legislative changes to open the planning process to the public and to ensure that bad planning decisions are avoided. It is a great shame that many of these changes were not introduced a few years ago, before Dublin 15 underwent the huge housing boom it has experienced over the last few years”.

 

“However, with work starting on the new Fingal Development Plan over the next two years, the new Planning Bill will give the new Council elected in June the opportunity to avoid many of the mistakes of the past and to ensure that planning decisions are taken for the good of our community and provide us with the infrastructure such as schools that we so desperately need”, stated Roderic O’Gorman.

 

 

Ends

 

Further Information

Roderic O’Gorman: 087 417 9777

http://www.greenparty.ie/en/news/latest_news/gormley_announces_details_of_new_planning_legislation

Serious vandalism in Laurel Lodge a concern – O’Gorman

Published
by
roderic
on May 23, 2009
in Anti-Social Behaviour and Carpenterstown
. 0 Comments

Vandalism on Laurel Lodge Road

Vandalism on Laurel Lodge Road

21/05/09

 

 

Green Party Castleknock ward candidate, Roderic O’Gorman has highlighted a spate of vandalism to public facilities along the Laurel Lodge Road.

 

“Over the week, a bus shelter and a phone box on Laurel Lodge Road have been badly vandalised. Both structures were severely damaged, with a significant number of glass sheets shattered”, stated Roderic O’Gorman.

 

“These facilities are important – particularly the bus stop which serves the 37 route. I am calling for anyone who witnessed this activity to contact the Gardai. It is essential that whoever is engaging in this vandalism is stopped quickly, before they do further damage to public property”, concluded Roderic O’Gorman.

Congratulations to Scoil Choilm on its opening

Published
by
roderic
on May 23, 2009
in Blog and Education
. 0 Comments

 

I attended the opening of the new Scoil Choilm VEC national school yesterday morning.

 

It was a really fantastic ceremony with both Junior and Senior infant classes providing beautiful singing in a marquee decorated with their artwork.

 

The diverse nature of the new school was on display, with representatives of four churches and the humanists all partaking in the dedication of the school.

 

I wish all pupils, teachers and parents the very best in Scoil Choilm.

Fingal CC Development Plan meeting on Tuesday

Published
by
roderic
on May 18, 2009
in Blog, Community Issues and Planning
. 0 Comments

You may know that Fingal County Council is currently beginning the process of reviewing the County Development Plan. The new Development Plan will last from 2011 – 2017.

 

The Council is beginning its public consultation process in the Dublin 15 area with a meeting in the Blanchardstown Crowne Plaza Hotel at 7:30 PM this Tuesday (19th).

 

The new Development Plan will have a huge influence on planning and all policies followed by Fingal County Council up to 2017. It’s hugely important that the residents of Dublin 15 get involved and have their say in this process.

 

Hope to see you at the meeting.

 

 

O’Gorman launches Safe Routes to School campaign

Published
by
roderic
on May 16, 2009
in Community Issues, Education, Press Releases and Transport
. 0 Comments

 

14/05/09

 

Green Party Castleknock ward candidate, Roderic O’Gorman has launched his Safe Routes to School campaign. The Green Party candidate is pledging that if he is elected in June, he will seek to have a new section inserted into the County Development Plan outlining a major role for Fingal County Council is ensuring that kids can get to school safely.

 

“As I’ve been campaigning door to door over the last eighteen months, one complaint I hear regularly from parents is that they don’t feel they can let their kids walk or cycle to school because traffic is so dangerous. If I’m elected on 5th June, I will make amending the new Fingal County Development Plan to include a section on Safe Routes to School a key priority. This would place an obligation on the County Council to assist every school in Dublin 15 in drawing up a Safe Routes to School Plan”, stated Roderic O’Gorman.

 

“My main idea is that Fingal County Council should be bringing together all the interested parties for each school in Dublin 15 – parents, teachers, students, the Gardai and Council officials and engineers – and together these would draw up a Safe Route to School plan for each school. Initially they would assess the main access routes to each school and then determine what are the main dangers or obstacles faced by pupils who were walking or cycling”.

 

“The Council can then undertake initiatives such as improving pedestrian crossings, cycle lanes and footpaths in the vicinity of schools or even reducing speed limits and introducing a ban on heavy goods vehicles around school. The Council could also be involved in ensuring the provision of bike sheds in schools so students have a safe place to park their bicycles. There is money available to support Safe Route to School schemes through the Department of Transport which has allocated €2 million to support An Taisce’s Green Schools Travel programme”.

 

“Promoting Safe Routes to School has a number of benefits. It will reduce congestion during the morning rush hour period and children will be healthier from walking or cycling to school. Obviously there will be environmental benefits from taking cars off the roads”.

 

“Over the course of the local election campaign, I am going to meet parents at local schools and discuss my proposal with them. I think the new County Development Plan gives us a fantastic opportunity to see Fingal County Council take a lead in ensuring that children can walk or cycle to school in safety. If I am elected on 5th June, I will work with all the stakeholders to make this a reality”, concluded Roderic O’Gorman.

 

Ends

 

 

Further Information

Roderic O’Gorman: 087 417 9777

 

How will a Safe Routes to School Scheme work?

 

Step 1: Amend the new Fingal County Development Plan to include a requirement for a safe route to school scheme for every school in Dublin 15

Step 2: Bring together parents, teachers, the Gardai and Fingal County Council to plan a safe route to school strategy for each school.

Step 3: Improve pedestrian crossings, cycle lanes and footpaths in the vicinity of schools

Step 4: Reduce speed limits and introduce a ban on heavy goods vehicles on the roads around schools

Step 5: Ensure the provision of bike sheds in schools so students have a safe place to park their bicycles