What would YOU do to Greystones?

woodsy2

A number of years ago two of us who were then on the town council tried to prepare such a plan using public fora to formulate it.

That would be really cool. I've wondered recently if it would ever be possible to run the town like most places are run in Switzerland, in the "canton" system, I think some areas of the Basque country do it aswell:

i.e. The town council = the populace of the town, with decisions being made at town hall-style meetings using a consensus process or double majority voting or something. Naturally we wouldnt be able to fit 15,000 people in a hall, so if a vote was taken per 100 people and a delegate would vote the way the majority of each 100 voted, then boom, 150 people in a hall.

Whether the decisions that would come out of this process would make any sense I haven't the foggiest

1. Community

Make it mandatory for people who live in Greystones for more than a year to actually participate in the community.

Everyone would be required to do at least one week a quarter doing community work. Painting, building etc... The Mellon foundation builds houses in a week in South Africa and Greystones struggles to take hoardings down, seed some grass and put some benches up to complete the harbour.

I'd be in favour of doing work in the community, although I think it should be strictly voluntary . Maybe some kind of incentive might work, like those who work don't have to pay that 50 quid

Huntthe

Blandpebbles wrote: »

The Greystones Gardai would be required to provide crime and resolution stats on a monthly basis with pay directly related to results.

We must have SLAs.

3. 5. Schools

All schools to be run by community trusts and religious influence to be removed.

The other stuff has merit but...

If the Gardai had Service levels to meet regarding crime resolution they would be most certainly met if their salary depended on it but a lot of innocent people would end up in Jail.

All Parents in theory have the right to determine how their children are educated but banning religious insruction from Schools is most definitely communist.

Blandpebbles

SLA = Service Level Agreements.

FYI Greystones voted in Stephen Donnelly a management goobledegook speaker so prepare for more of it.

Disabled people can be just as active as non disabled and indeed want to be treated the same. Point taken so amended to where physically able.

Not sure I get the connection between solving crime and imprisoning innocent people. It's not the 70s and we are not taking about the Birmingham Six.

Regards Schools. There is already a forum in place to review religious oversight and education in schools which aims to deliver finding next year. Greystones has protestant, catholic and educate together yet educate together suffers lack of funding while the others do not. Do parents have a choice? Yes but not a great one right now. FYI no agenda on my part here just I remember my friends being told to sit outside during RE as they were not catholic and therefore were lower than the cat. A debate for another thread perhaps.

50 Euro Community is waived if you do the more than ONE weekend of work

Communist? No it is not a socialist agenda it is a means to improve Greystones as a town and improve the well being of the people through community work while providing a financial foundation to do the work.

Great thread by the way.

Tiradon

I don't believe mandatory community service is feasible as some people genuinely would not have the time to do (as previously mentioned due to work/parental commitments) and they shouldn't be penalised financially for earning a living/looking after their children. I do, however, believe there should be some form of community service requirement for people on long-term unemployment benefit. Most areas would benefit hugely from this and it would save the councils etc money and resources.

Blandpebbles

Definitely the unemployed should be put to work, no work no benefits.

People working and looking after kids... really you never have any spare time? really?

So if there was a community drive to fix up the harbour you wouldnt make use of it? not once ever in the whole year?

Tiradon

I understand your point and yes, I definitely would be up for a community initiative to fix up the harbour. I wasn't suggesting that I wouldn't have the time, I most definitely would but I just feel that the implementation of "mandatory" community service would probably meet significant opposition from a lot of people, especially those with young families etc. Just an opinion. Anouther route would be maybe to assign some additional tax credits to those who volunteer for community service, thereby rewarding people who "choose" to do it.

Huntthe

Not sure I get the connection between solving crime and imprisoning innocent people. It's not the 70s and we are not taking about the Birmingham Six.

If Garda salary was directly related to solving crime it encourages getting prosecutions at all cost.

Regards Schools. There is already a forum in place to review religious oversight and education in schools which aims to deliver finding next year. Greystones has protestant, catholic and educate together yet educate together suffers lack of funding while the others do not. Do parents have a choice? Yes but not a great one right now. FYI no agenda on my part here just I remember my friends being told to sit outside during RE as they were not catholic and therefore were lower than the cat. A debate for another thread perhaps.

Communist? No it is not a socialist agenda it is a means to improve Greystones as a town and improve the well being of the people through community work while providing a financial foundation to do the work.

As previously stated parents should have the choice but the below does not provide choice for those who wish a religious element to their childs education.

All schools to be run by community trusts and religious influence to be removed.

Don't want to de rail so I'll leave it at that.

Blandpebbles

Tiradon wrote: »

I understand your point and yes, I definitely would be up for a community initiative to fix up the harbour. I wasn't suggesting that I wouldn't have the time, I most definitely would but I just feel that the implementation of "mandatory" community service would probably meet significant opposition from a lot of people, especially those with young families etc. Just an opinion. Anouther route would be maybe to assign some additional tax credits to those who volunteer for community service, thereby rewarding people who "choose" to do it.

Good points, I like the tax credits idea however as it would be community based it would hard to implement that in the tax system. However, the idea of having the 'community donation' of 50 euro was to fund work as well. Perhaps a non monetary reward could also be given for those who participate. A park bench or flowerbed named after them... a photo in the Bray People Some people are obssessed with that one for sure.

Macy0161

Blandpebbles wrote: »

Definitely the unemployed should be put to work, no work no benefits.

If there's work to be done, should there not be a "job" to do it? No more than the old CE schemes, this and other schemes would inevitably used to do jobs people should be actually employed to do. But that, and other posts, are way off topic (even off this forum).

Blandpebbles

If Garda salary was directly related to solving crime it encourages getting prosecutions at all cost.


Doesnt have to refer to prosecutions solely -

% of time calls responded to in 15 mins etc...

Anyway...

Rasmus

Removing, not 'banning' religious instruction from the national curriculum is in no way communist. A widespread ban in society would only constitute that.
In fact, the current model, if anything, imposes greater religious restrictions than any perceived communist ideal.

Honestly!

Have the hoarding taken down at the harbour, plant the open areas and have markets and festivals down there. NAMA own it so it's ours!

Encourage tourism. Bray cliff walk needs to be fixed up and would be a great attaraction if more walks are promoted and organised.

Annasopra

fiachra - do you think the town council can achieve much?

everyone else have you considered running in 2014?

Blandpebbles

I have considered running but a couple of things stop me so far -

1. Councillor work seems to be designed to be spread out over a number of days rather than focussed times which isn't compatible with my business.

2. I don't have the patience to put up with the current batch of tomfools in there and would surely go postal within days.

3. Looking at who was voted in at the Wicklow TD level the same tomfools will be around for a long time... so postal chances are very increased.

Fiachra2

Johnnymcg wrote: »

fiachra - do you think the town council can achieve much?

everyone else have you considered running in 2014?

Yes I think they can but not very many of the sugestions made above (many of which would require govenment intervention). The Town Council has no funds so it cannot achieve physical projects. What the Town council could do is plan the future of the town. It can decide what the town needs and what it doesnt need and ensure that Wicklow County Council complies with this. This has rarely happened in the past because of the people who were (and are) on the Town Council. I dont want to seem critical of them (well.. some of them!) but they simply lack(ed) vision. The focus has been on cutting hedges, filling in potholes, ,attending town twinning functions etc. There is no attempt to look at the big picture, at preserving the beauty of the town and enhacing it, an endeavour in which they could be much more successful than efforts such as the endless lobbying of the IDA to build an industrial estate which the IDA knows is impractical.
I have served on the council along with Evelyn Cawley and we achieved a fair bit and could have achieved a lot more except that we were outnumbered.

The next election will be a great time to change things. Many of the old guard are in their 60's and may well either not run or have an insufficent power base to ward of a strong challenge from newcomers.

So in answer to your question I think the council could achieve a lot.

In answer to Balndpebbles the work is as much or as little as you want. There is no necessary work and only one (night-time) meeting per month.

Blandpebbles

Thanks Fiachra for the clarification.

Dr. Blandpebbles is becoming more interested in this council election now.

Vote No.1 BP this voting day.... '... even a pebble can create a big splash!'

Inhousejoke

Off the top of my head a few things are needed/should be changed, such as;

1/ A permanant, stable, safe bridge between Burnaby Lawns and Charlesland.
2/ Finish/change use of the abondoned half-built council depot next to the tennis courts.
3/Not a single empty council house (there are at least ten I know of, with 400 people on the waiting list).
4/More bus shelters

These are more localised problems, and I've got a feeling this thread is intended for the bigger picture of town planning!

In that sense I would need to have more of a think on it, but I would say there is defintely room for development of some industrial jobs, as well as things like an allotment scheme, maybe something along the line of a Transition Town? And don't get me started on local democracy....:D

shaviebeby

maybe close off the main street on Sundays and have Sunday Markets up and down the street. Get a bit of atmosphere going in the town. Have activities for the kids to do and make it very social.....Why not??...Sunday is quiet anyway and the shops could do with the business!!

Fiachra2

I occasionally visit a small mining town cum ski resort in the Canadian Rockies. They have this year opened a small museum in the town located in a disused building and funded by voluntary donations. Its mostly old photographs and a few other bits and pieces but it gives a great sense of the history of the town. something like that would work well in Greystones. We are not short of empty buildings and if the Town Council invested the money that is spent on the annual festival of nonsense called the La touche Legacy weekend plus some of the town twinning money it might just get it off the ground.

Selandia

Fiachra2 wrote: »

I occasionally visit a small mining town cum ski resort in the Canadian Rockies. They have this year opened a small museum in the town located in a disused building and funded by voluntary donations. Its mostly old photographs and a few other bits and pieces but it gives a great sense of the history of the town. something like that would work well in Greystones. We are not short of empty buildings and if the Town Council invested the money that is spent on the annual festival of nonsense called the La touche Legacy weekend plus some of the town twinning money it might just get it off the ground.

Loads of great suggestions in this thread, some easily do-able, some more fanciful and unlikely - but Fiachra's one above strikes me as one that could get underway relatively easily. Agree with you about diverting council funds to a new project too....

Blandpebbles

Already done in the library.

mak78

A nice addition would be build a purpose built bike trail along the harbour & beach. It would be a real tourist attraction for cyclists and families and would build on the popularity of cycling in the greystones and North Wicklow area (we already have the Wicklow 200, Ballinastoe MTB Trails).

It could link up with the cliff walk to the north and to the murrough to the south giving a trail stretching all the way from bray to wicklow for those who fancied a longer spin.

I was in Vermont a few years back and they have a fantastic bike trail along the lakeshore which was packed with families and cyclists.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g57201-d258313-Reviews-Burlington_Bike_Path-Burlington_Vermont.html

Merrilady

My 80 year old grandad got the dart to g'stones from town (where he has lived all his life) with his buddy for a coffee and a nice sea atmosphere

He mentioned to me this morning how sad it was to see such a lovely place like g'stones with such a badly kept park ... Must say I agree, I don't even walk through it in the mornings never mind in the evening / when its dark.

He has a point, especially with the good weather it could be a lovely place to chill, it's a sahme especially after the good job outside the station etc.

Basically, not to go off thread, a re-vamp of the park and bins on the road from Eden Gate to g'stones, it's sooo annoying.

Renn

Cinema.

dudmis

Opportunity to input into Burnaby Park upgrade: http://www.greystonesguide.com/articles/article/6923792/156084.htm

AJCOT

Could we part-change the town name to something more inspiring? Grey is not the most rivetting of colours & doesn't evoke feelings of fun, excitement or a burning desire to visit. Cerisestones would do nicely for me & we'd only have to half change road signs.

Charlie-Bravo

AJCOT wrote: »

Cerisestones would do nicely for me & we'd only have to half change road signs.

Let's not use colours and try other place name hybrids: Monacostones...next suggestion please.

schmel22

Merrilady wrote: »

My 80 year old grandad got the dart to g'stones from town (where he has lived all his life) with his buddy for a coffee and a nice sea atmosphere

He mentioned to me this morning how sad it was to see such a lovely place like g'stones with such a badly kept park ... Must say I agree, I don't even walk through it in the mornings never mind in the evening / when its dark.

He has a point, especially with the good weather it could be a lovely place to chill, it's a sahme especially after the good job outside the station etc.

Basically, not to go off thread, a re-vamp of the park and bins on the road from Eden Gate to g'stones, it's sooo annoying.

Great point! Bins Bins and more bins!!!!

the_bigman

Introduce more pubs.

Although it's counter-intuitive, having more pubs would actually increase the business to the (currently-dead) existing ones because it would create a bit of buzz about the place. Like Dalkey. People will come to the town for a bit of pub-hopping in a sunny day.

At the minute the Burnaby is depressing after 7pm

Taltos

I love the idea of the cycle track - all along the coast would be great.
Also imagine them linking to some of the forests in the area or even to the Sugarloaf (big and small).

In terms of making the mainstreet a pedestrian area - we would need to be careful there as there are many houses just off this strip - can see the back roads up through the burnaby becoming heavily overused.

What about a local free bus - hop on and off that would circle the town every so often - similar to the ski shuttle buses in Canada. Thinking of the use that some of the pensioners could get from this - getting around for shopping etc. Cost might be a problem though.

Dog crap - as a dog owner I have to say I agree with the comments above. Sick to death of having to pull my pair away from the mess left behind by other lazy idiots. Although I did find a load dropped by a human in the old mens just a few weeks ago - turned by stomach.

Refub the mens or rebuild off the rocks further down. As a kid here used to love going in off the mens and swimming out to the raft that used to be staged out there. Many happy days.

Schools - David's - agree that this is an eyesore - but no clue what to do with it - do not want to see more buildings going up along that area.

La Touch - refurb - and get rid of the Bennigans shell - should never have been there in the first place. If the hotel is not a runner for a business - why not do what they have in Powerscourt - small business inside - imagine the whole interior being open to the ceiling with an atrium and coffee area. Bookstores, etc. Sitting outside on the veranda with a book and a coffee looking across at the new raft from the new mens...

Gardai - think it is unfair calling out our local gardai - recently had to go there and found them great. However - they can only do what they are funded to do and instead of hassling them I would prefer this country to attack the judges - I am personally sick to my back teeth with scum getting light or no sentences. Have become more harsh in this over the years seeing scum bags getting away with more and more. Lets empower our gardai to do more and force the judges to apply sentences that actually mean something.

Harbour - there is already an excellent thread on this so I won't add more.