Category Archives: DLR

17 Jun 2023

Deputations – Meetings with DLRCoCo 

Deputations – Roebuck Residents’ Association’s meetings with DLR County Council 

You might not be aware, but committee members meet with DLR council representatives every six months in order to raise new issues/changes, or to discuss ones previously raised, with the aim of improving the area. As part of this ‘deputations’ process, we raise up to five issues/changes which the council can address. The results of previous deputations have been very successful, and have been implemented quickly by the council. Examples include bulb planting on Goatstown Road, Friarsland Road bench, narrowing of junctions, repair of footpath on Farmhill Road. We would welcome any suggestions for future deputations. 

To give you an idea of issues/changes raised – as part of the most recent deputation in May we discussed the following:

Verge Trees – The Council have agreed to replace some dead trees and plant new trees in the empty spaces. We will be preparing an inventory of verge trees over the next few weeks to give to the council, so if you are aware of any dead trees, or have any suggestions for new trees, please do let us know.

Footpaths – repairs and replacements have recommenced on Farmhill Road.

Potholes – The lovely one on Farmhill Road/ Larchfield Road will be filled.

Parking/ double yellow lines

We asked for a number of double yellow lines on corners/ junctions etc. as residents have expressed concerns for children walking to school and the path has been obscured by parked cars, forcing them onto the road. All statutory road markings have to be approved by the Gardaí and in a change to their stance in previous years, they are no longer granting approval for double yellow lines within housing estates. 

However, the Gardai stated they plan on enforcing ALL parking offences locally. By way of reminder, it is an offence to park:

– Where there are white or yellow zig-zag lines near a pedestrian crossing

– Wholly or partly on a zebra or pelican crossing or at pedestrian lights

– Fifteen metres before or five metres after a pedestrian crossing or traffic lights

– Where there is a single or double continuous white line along the centre of the road

– Wholly or partly on a footpath, a grass margin, a cycle lane or track or a median strip

– Within five metres of a road junction unless parking spaces are clearly marked

– In an entrance or exit for vehicles to or from a premises, unless authorised by the occupier of the premises

29 Apr 2023

Landscaping Roebuck Green

The Committee are delighted to announce the next phase of our plan to upgrade the Green on Farmhill / Larchfield Road! This is due to start next week. 

This is the final step in a long journey that started out in 2016. In March 2021, the first phase of development work began. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council delivered on its commitment to work with the Association in transforming the Green when it laid the new beige path, embedded 4 new benches, planted 7 new trees, introduced two grassed mounds and laid hoggin paved areas around the benches.

In keeping with the overall project plan agreed between us and the Council, the final phase will be undertaken and funded by the Association. This phase consists of planting a mixed collection of shrubs and plants that will enhance the Green further for the enjoyment of our residents. The planting, a major undertaking requiring professional expertise, will be carried out for us by Redlough Landscapers, and will take 7 to 10 days. Redlough will be retained for one year to ensure the planting beds in, and will advise our Tidy Districts Team as to how to look after and maintain the plants in the longer term.

Background note: 
In our first year as an Association (2015/16), we began the task of reviving the Green by setting up a grass-cutting rota, planting flowers, painting the bench and introducing planters. Our Tidy Districts group and the Committee started thinking about what we might try to do to improve the Green in the long term. It was decided to devise a plan that would transform the Green, rather than improving it haphazardly. We engaged a landscape architect with this in mind – Tim Austin and Associates. Our plan was to create a space where people can relax and chat, rest or read, in a safe and enhanced environment. It’s called “place-making”, with the emphasis on the community living in the area, as opposed to those just passing through.

The plan was to improve and increase the seating, improve the pathway, and re-landscape the space, including some banking to be planted with shrubs, which will reduce traffic noise while adding colour and biodiversity. We are also planning to include a notice board for residents. The Committee and the Tidy Districts group went through a number of iterations of the project plan with the Council to achieve the best possible outcome for the community.

We are looking forward to a beautifully landscaped Green that will be used by the whole community for years to come.

The current Committee would like to thank all of the past committee members and the Tidy Districts Team for all their input and dedication to bringing this plan to fruition. There may be some disruption in the next few weeks but we are looking forward to a beautifully landscaped Green that will be used by the whole community for years to come.

01 Mar 2023

Local Police Forum

Local Policing Fora were established under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 to provide a platform for the Community, An Garda Síochána and your Local Authority to come together in a structured way to identify issues relating to:
• Policing in your area
• Anti-social behaviour
• Estate Management

A representative from our committee attends these meetings. For more information see this booklet or click here.

11 May 2022

DLR Joint Policing Committee Public Meeting

Notice of Public Meeting

Would you like to discuss local policing and public safety in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown?

A public meeting of the DLR Joint Policing Committee, chaired by Cllr Carrie Smyth, will be held on Tuesday, 24th May 2022 at 7pm in the Talbot Hotel, Stillorgan.

There will be an opportunity to raise issues and address questions on relevant matters to senior members of An Garda Siochána and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.

If you wish to attend you must register in advance by 20th May 2022. To register please email community@dlrcoco.ie or phone 01-2054893.

10 May 2022

New Cycle Tracks Taney Rd, New Junction The Goat

DLRCC is seeking to establish a high quality Active Travel route along the R112 between Stillorgan and Dundrum – “Taney Road to N11 Active Travel Route”.

The scheme is focused on improving safety, reducing motorised traffic speeds, and upgrading active mobility infrastructure along the r112. The proposals include a new two way cycle track on Taney Road, and a new junction layout at The Goat crossroads.

You can see plans, and find out more information on the DLR website. The closing date for public submissions is June 17th.

Update, June:
Click here to view our submission.

30 Mar 2022

Defibrillator – At Roebuck Shops

We will be getting a defibrillator installed down at the shops in front of the green. The plan is for it to be located just outside Roebuck Pharmacy. Thanks to John Finnegan for allowing it to be installed there.

Special thanks to Cardiac Services for their part in this. The defibrillator needs to be stored in a special box (with a small heat source in order to prevent components being damaged in very cold weather). We will be part-funding the purchase of this box and its installation. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council will also be part-funding it, via a grant.

We hope to have it installed very soon.

26 Mar 2021

Landscaping Work – Roebuck Green

We have some exciting breaking news for you. It has been a number of years since we first started to look into the possibility of upgrading the Green in front of the shops, and we’re happy to say that DLR County Council will be starting work this coming Monday (29th). Due to Covid the timing of Council projects has been quite erratic, so we’ve only just been told that works are to begin next week, which was a bit of a surprise. We’ve been informed that this first phase, the laying of a new path, and the hard landscaping work, will take approximately two weeks. Hopefully works won’t be too disruptive, and it’ll be short term pain for long term gain. As we get more information as to how this project will progress, we’ll let you know.

What will be included?
This will be the first time the Council has done substantial landscaping work on the Green since it was created in the 1950’s. It was definitely time for a bit of an upgrade. The plan is for the Council to do the heavy landscaping work, and for us (the Tidy Districts group) to do a good portion of the planting. Some of the new features you can expect to enjoy once work is completed are:

  • 4 benches
  • A new beige tarmac path
  • A number of new trees
  • Flat grassed areas suitable for holding outdoor events
  • Landscaped grassed mounds
  • A mix of cobblestone and timber edging to the path
  • Hoggin paved areas
  • Mixed planting, shrubs and plants
  • Community notice board

Where did this idea come from?
In our first year as an Association (2015/16), we began the task of reviving the Green by setting up a grass-cutting rota, planting flowers, painting the bench and introducing planters. Our Tidy Districts group and the Committee started thinking about what we might try to do to improve the Green in the long term. It was decided to devise a plan that would transform the Green, rather than improving it haphazardly. We engaged a landscape architect with this in mind, Austin and Associates. Our plan is to create a space where people can relax and chat, rest or read, in a safe and enhanced environment. It’s called “place-making”, with the emphasis on the community living in the area, as opposed to those just passing through. The plan is to improve and increase the seating, improve the pathway, and re-landscape the space, including some banking which will be planted with shrubs, and will reduce traffic noise. We are also planning to include a notice board for residents and a small container for Tidy Districts’ gardening tools. The Committee and the Tidy Districts group have been through a number of iterations of the plans with the Council to achieve the best possible outcome for the community.

We are looking forward to a beautifully landscaped Green that will be used by the whole community for years to come.

13 Jan 2021

New DLR CDP – Public Submission

As mentioned above the new draft DLR County Development Plan 2022-2028 is now out for public consultation. We encourage residents to have a look and to make a submission. It is quite long, but there are bits that are particularly important to us around here, e.g. the zoning regarding OLG, the Central Mental Hospital, IGB, Dundrum etc. etc.

Some possible starting points:

– The map for this area, that shows the zoning types, can be found here. (Note the OLG zoning, and Specific Local Objectives for Rosemount/CMH relating to recreation and sport)
– Also worth noting is that Goatstown Road is being categorised as a Proposed Bus Priority Route (you can see this marked on the Land Use Zoning Map 1). The significance of this is that higher densities than 50 units per hectare can be allowed within 1km of QBC/Luas or 500m of Bus Priority Route. In reality it’s pretty clear that Goatstown Road is no such thing. The kerbed cycle lanes means this cannot be achieved. Also Bus Connects is reducing the frequency of the bus (will be the No.10, now No.11) to 30 minute intervals. The OLG JR also found that Goatstown Road did not qualify as a Bus Priority Route or a QBC. This should be clarified in the new County Development Plan.

There will no doubt be plenty of other things that will be of interest to residents. The chapter headings for the draft CDP are:

  1. Vision and context
  2. Core Strategy (this deals with ‘big picture’ of where growth (housing, population centres  and employment in particular will go)
  3. Climate Action
  4. Neighbourhood – People, Places and Home (New definition of INST, p.83)
  5. Transport and Mobility
  6. Enterprise and Employment
  7. Towns, Villages and Retail Development (Dundrum is on p.147)
  8. Green Infrastructure and Biodiversity
  9. Open Space, Parks and Recreation
  10. Environmental Infrastructure and Flood Risk
  11. Heritage and Conservation
  12. Development Management
  13. Land Use Zoning
  14. Specific Local Objectives
  15. Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation

You can view the Plan here (see the orange links at the bottom of the page). You can make a submission via the relevant section on the DLR website. The closing date for submissions is April 16th. In addition to making an online submission, you should also email the Dundrum Councillors with your concerns or questions. This is really the only opportunity they have to influence zoning, as well as many other aspects of this Plan. So if there’s something you want to see done, this is the time to approach them.