Fingal not cutting grass

expectationlost

your a Pillar leoB, and the cllrs and wannabee cllrs

yeah its the grass

really some victorian attitudes here.

LeoB

expectationlost wrote: »

your a Pillar leoB, and the cllrs and wannabee cllrs

yeah its the grass

really some victorian attitudes here.

Care to explain your latest post.

I have enough to do without getting involved in politics but that doesnt mean I wont complain or support what I think is a reasonable argument made by a resident of Fingal

The Hill Billy

Stay on topic please.

expectationlost - If you agree with the FCC bioversity strategy state you case, but don't go taking personal shots at other posters.

If anyone has a problem with a post - report it.

HB

shaungil

meeting in skerries tonight at one of the affected greens. Iarrived late and hears 2nd hand so if anyone was there and can fill in gaps and or correct please feel free.

some dude from council there to explain/defend, from what I gather plan is to in 5 years to have all green areas like this. townparks in Skerries is the pilot. no-one at meeting wanted it long all wanted it short the bit they left short is totally inadepquate. There has been anti-social behaviour including drinking and "fornication" already. Kids with hayfever are in a heap too.

appaarently there is some sort of political agenda at play with some councilors riled up support against this plan. lso the dude from teh council said it's biodiversity but also cos of funding issues.

My two cents are 1) consult don't just go ahead, public servants are not dictators serving the public was pretty obvious to me.2) have plenty of short grass for kids nd adults to play and not just one area as you have different aged groups using the green at any one time. currently I'd say there is maybe 20% short and I'd leave 80% short and 20% long for March to September anyway.

Paulw

Today they cut the grass outside our place. Nice to see the park looking normal again.

greatgoal

If this dry spell persists,this grass is going to end up like hay,then the lads will start having fun setting it alight and god knows what tragedy might occur!!

Hauk

greatgoal wrote: »

If this dry spell persists,this grass is going to end up like hay,then the lads will start having fun setting it alight and god knows what tragedy might occur!!

Awesome! We'll record a black metal music video in the flames! \m/

Beasty

greatgoal wrote: »

If this dry spell persists,this grass is going to end up like hay,then the lads will start having fun setting it alight and god knows what tragedy might occur!!

I would not worry about this - grass only turns to hay when it is cut - there's very little chance of uncut grass being set alight

Ludo

Not from the area myself, but this plan sounds crazy.

Complain by all means but if there is a green area in your estate which the council are letting "go wild", why not get a few neighbours together and cut it yourselves.
Or do like we do in our estate and organise a collection from all houses of 40 or 50 quid and pay someone to do it on a regular basis (every 2 weeks in our case).

Eoineo

Ludo wrote: »

Complain by all means but if there is a green area in your estate which the council are letting "go wild", why not get a few neighbours together and cut it yourselves.
Or do like we do in our estate and organise a collection from all houses of 40 or 50 quid and pay someone to do it on a regular basis (every 2 weeks in our case).

Great idea if you come from an estate where people have €40/50 to pay for something like that.

Here is our situation:

Our estate is in the care of the Council. We have a designated green area which is about the size of 2 football pitches. Many residents in our estate are struggling to put food on the table, let alone find the money to pay for someone to mow it.

Remember it is the council's responsibility to take care of this green area but the residents take it on themselves to do cleanups and monitor the rubbish/graffiti etc. We simply do not have the resources to go out and cut a field of this size. Kerbs & sidings around the estate maybe but this needs a tractor or ride-on mower.

I'm all for bio-diversity and actually think it will be nice to have some old-style meadowland nearby. All I want is part of the green area mowed so that the kids can go kickabout on the green and not on the road.

Oh yes, and I can live in hope that the poster above was referring to me as a "pillar of society". I decided a long time ago I neither have the balls nor interest in politics; all I want is to support my local community as best I can.

rpurfield

im from just out the road in stamullen but i have plenty of interest in balbriggan so i look in here often.just one point about cutting the grass yourselves,meath cc have no parks department so when estates out here are taken in care weve to look after it ourselves.and getting people to pay fees for it is nigh on impossible.if our estate hits a collection rate of 33% its good going so organising a whip round to cut it will prove hard.

on another note is all this why the M1 is only half cut??looks bloody stupid.its all cut properly up around louth and whatever about biodiversity it just looks rough and messy especially for our main motor way

Carawaystick

I'd recommend looking up the noxious weeds act, 1936 and making sure the co.co comply with it, if you want the grass cut.

Corsendonk

I actually am enjoying the meadows that have cropped up around Fingal with the councils new Bio-diversity project. Maybe its just me that likes to see these wild meadows offering a habitat to the threated species of floral and fauna of Fingal.

These areas even on fine sunny days like this have been under utilised for years. I noticed some people here have a romantic idea of the kids out playing out on the green every sunny evening but that doesn't really happen. There more than likely sitting in watching the world cup or playing the PS3 or waiting for you to get off the laptop so they can surf. Some do use the green spaces but only a fraction of the area and the council has cut areas to accomdate this.

So why not allow these under utilised areas to offer life and food supplies to the surrounding wildlife? Years ago the hay meadow would have provided the same obejective before the modernisation of agriculture.

Personnal speaking I think that this subject has been hijacked to get back at the council with what people regard as unfair bin charges. Its developed into a "those cheapskates not spending are money arguement!" So you want the grass cut and cut now. If it wasn't the grass it would be road signs or the the usual favourite potholes or something else

If you care to click on the link below which details the growing push on encouraging biodiversity throughtout Europe not just in Fingal.

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/index_en.htm

P.S if anyone knows anyone that fly tips(i know you dont, but you might do) when you purchase a new electric item the retailer has to take the old one back or alternatively you can leave at a recyling centre such as Swords. It might avoid some of the illigal dumping that one of the posters mentioned might happen to the meadow areas and which is already happening in the ditches of north dublin.

Eoineo

My family are definitely enjoying the meadowland nearby but they are also enjoying the cleared kickabout area as well. It's the best of both worlds so overall I'm happy.

pinkypinky

I think the dual carriageway (N1 along Swords) looks dreadful. Estuary roundabout has some special looking weeds on it.

brian ireland

Seriously what is this all about. Fingal Co Co decided not to cut large portions of open spaces in residential areas and gave the ridiculous excuse they they are developing them into meadows. What is this suppose to be?? Its not a meadow. Its just weeds and long grass.

This is the second year it like this.

This is what meadow should look like

Come on Fingal County Council get your act together or cut the bloody grass.

Beasty

Threads Merged

@brian ireland - based on earlier posts I am not sure the explanation is they are making them into "meadows", but it is all to do with "biodiversity". Either way, if you feel so passionate about it, I would suggest you approach FCC directly, as having a rant about it on here is unlikely to get you anywhere

Beasty

Corsendonk

Common gardening definition of a weed is a plant growing were you dont
want it to. All plants are weeds.

Plants follow the seasons. Your first photo was a meadow in seed which I take is a recent photo. If you journey through the countryside you will see the ripe fields of wheat ready to harvest. Wheat is a member of the grass family too which comprises most meadows.

Your second photo was a meadow in flower which only lasts for a short period of time before polination so unrealistic to have that flowering meadow all through spring and summer.

Eoineo

I believe that if you live in an exposed coastal area it's unlikely you'll have a full flowering meadow as pictured above. Having read the blurb about "Growing Spaces" on the Fingal County Council website I'm sure that the initiative is about bio-diversity and not introducing meadowlands by the way.

Still no complaints from me here. The Council have kept to their word and maintained a kick-about area along with a "growing spaces" area.

Corsendonk

Corncrake, I remember my grandfather telling me about the distinct call of this bird that could be heard in north dublin. Now due to modern agriculture only left in certain parts of Ireland. Hopefully the biodiversity areas will bring birds like this back to this part of Ireland.


http://www.birdwatchireland.ie/Default.aspx?tabid=311

LeoB

There were indeed some fantastic birds around Rush and N.C.D when I was I was growing up:), the non feathered type:D
I do believe days like today bring us back to our youth;)

Frank Spencer

Anyone ever hear of this Alan Farrell fella?

Evening Herald wrote:

It's life ... but not quite as we expected it

RATS: Long grass aimed at encouraging biodiversity has sparked fears of vermin infestation

It was supposed to boost biodiversity -- instead, a council decision not to cut grass has sown only consternation among citizens.

The worthy attempt to increase the range of life forms in our public spaces involved a local authority letting the grass grow... and grow.

The theory is that such a strategy facilitates more animal, plant and other life forms, thereby increasing biodiversity.

But it's one particular life form that has sparked a frenzy of anxiety among residents -- rats.

They fear the vermin are breeding in tall grass in their parks.

One resident told the Herald that she saw a group of rats scurrying around a Fingal coastal area where grass hasn't been cut in months.

Breeding

"While walking between Malahide and Portmarnock, myself and my friend noticed large rats on the beach close to the path. Fingal never cut the grass here all summer and it is now an obvious breeding ground for vermin," she claimed.

"It is very worrying as lots of families frequent this area and Weil's disease can easily be picked up."

Local representatives agree the long grass a "most controversial issue" which has prompted a barrage of complaints from residents.

Cllr Peter Coyle (Lab) said: "I never had so many complaints against anything as I've had with the long grass in the 16 years that I've been in the council. It's one of the most controversial issues that I've had to deal with."

Cllr Alan Farrell (FG) stressed that there may be a need for the council to use some form of vermin control in the long grass.

And the councillor also pointed out that the long grass is encouraging for a vicious type of mosquito which is already prevalent in areas like Malahide.

"There's also a certain strain of mosquito which was brought here on foreign trees and it has a particularly virulent bite. There have been suggestions that the grass is a fairly good ground for them to congregate."

Mr Farrell says he is "keeping an eye on" Seabury, the largest housing estate in Malahide, in particular since it has a high volume of people close to the long grass.

A complaint was made to Cllr Kieran Dennison (FG) by a Residents' Association which said that one resident had a cat which brought her baby rats, having found a nest in the long grass.

He added: "If there's dumping in the long grass it could certainly attract vermin, especially if there is food in the long grass."

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Fingal County Council said the Growing Places project will not provide additional breeding habitats for rats.

"It would be highly unlikely that rodents would nest in open ground, even if it is sheltered with long grass, as regular disturbances from people, dogs, etc would not feel safe for the animal to nest in."

She added: "It is important that people, particularly children, using public open spaces such as beaches, parks, meadows, etc, dispose of their litter properly, as dropped litter or food may encourage vermin."

Fingal County Council will "comprehensively review" the implementation of the Growing Places scheme this autumn, following the completion of the first cycle of maintenance.

http://www.herald.ie/national-news/city-news/its-life-but-not-quite-as-we-expected-it-2301604.html

Alan Farrell

Frank Spencer wrote: »

Anyone ever hear of this Alan Farrell fella?

Never heard of him :rolleyes:

(incidentally, he was misquoted, he said particularly virulent strain not virulent bite.)

brian ireland

Corsendonk wrote: »

Your second photo was a meadow in flower which only lasts for a short period of time before polination so unrealistic to have that flowering meadow all through spring and summer.

Just notice the roundabout at Donabate and it looks very similar to the meadow in my second photo.In fact it looks like it was taken there.

The reality is some areas have been developed and others are fields are weeds!!!

Corsendonk

brian ireland wrote: »

Just notice the roundabout at Donabate and it looks very similar to the meadow in my second photo.In fact it looks like it was taken there.

The reality is some areas have been developed and others are fields are weeds!!!

Yeah i noticed the flowering roundabouts last week. I also noticed the council remove the grass from that roundabout and the one on the entrance into swords and the preparation of the soil for sowing. Guessing that they sowned a wild flower mix. Its rather defeats the purpose if they have to rotivate the green spaces and sown wildflower mix and I imagine they thought it would be better just to encourage bees and other flying pollinating creatures on the roundabouts. Its nature, it aint always like an english cottage garden or a manicured golf course that herbicides are used to keep the "weeds" down. I rather thought that those that had kids would like to see less pesticides used in the environment close by your kids.

The rats point is interesting, rat population only explodes when food is about, perhaps the littering and fly tipping could be more of a factor than the grass? Hopefully the council recovered some information from the litter who is responsible and we see a few prosecutions and naming and shaming of them. Its as much a crime of vandalism as spray painting.