Playground - opinions?

yellatdave

Three questions I'd like an answer to:

(1) Is the playground going to be fenced off?
(2) Has a safety audit been carried out on the proposed location?
(3) Are pedestrian crossings going to be installed to facilitate people/children crossing to this safely?

Spongebopp

leeomurchu wrote: »

i'd hope they';re planning on putting a pedestrian crossing over to it and that parents teach their kids to use it. there's going to be a bad accident in there one day.

on more than one occasion I've had children run out from between parked cars to go play on the green. I think the location is ridiculous though I mean essentially that green is an island surrounded by roads and i can guarantee kids being kids they'll pay no mind to the cars.

There's many green areas off the main roads that would be far more suitable and secure you never know who is watching your kids, especially with such easy access to a main road it's chilling to think of a scenario like that little girl in Wales.

To echo others good idea poor execution.

I think it might be going there because if you go further up the Spine Road the ground is less flat. It was never properly leveled off by the Builders when they finished building, they basically just threw top soil onto all the left over Building Materials, that's the reason why water won't drain away properly there either. It is flatter where they have the fencing up.

tp25

too close to the roundabout and at the entrance into the estate (terrible from the design point of view)... is it Creche'land now?

tp25

leeomurchu wrote: »

i'd hope they';re planning on putting a pedestrian crossing over to it and that parents teach their kids to use it. there's going to be a bad accident in there one day.

on more than one occasion I've had children run out from between parked cars to go play on the green. I think the location is ridiculous though I mean essentially that green is an island surrounded by roads and i can guarantee kids being kids they'll pay no mind to the cars.

There's many green areas off the main roads that would be far more suitable and secure you never know who is watching your kids, especially with such easy access to a main road it's chilling to think of a scenario like that little girl in Wales.

To echo others good idea poor execution.

this should be located at the highest part of Charlesland greens...

and NOT at the lowest part. - stupidity in the less polite expression but some things have to be called their names.

Mullie

I think we may be too late with our objections/suggestions. I wonder if the residents associations were contacted on this.

tp25

Mullie wrote: »

I think we may be too late with our objections/suggestions. I wonder if the residents associations were contacted on this.

it may not be too late to lodge objections, were the site notices put in place to obtain a planing permission?

Mullie

tp25 wrote: »

it may not be too late to lodge objections, were the site notices put in place to obtain a planing permission?

Good point, I don't recall any planning notices.

tp25

http://www.clarecoco.ie/Accessible_HTML/community/Playgrounds/community_guidelines_07.html


Q 1. Do we need planning permission for a playground development?

A. Yes. The development of a playground requires planning permission and the development must comply with Planning Legislation. Planning applications are the same as if a house, extension, farm building etc was applied for.

Q 2. What do we need to do to apply for planning permission?

A. In general the same rules apply as for any planning application:

Charlie-Bravo

tp25 wrote: »

http://www.clarecoco.ie/Accessible_HTML/community/Playgrounds/community_guidelines_07.html


Q 1. Do we need planning permission for a playground development?

A. Yes. The development of a playground requires planning permission and the development must comply with Planning Legislation. Planning applications are the same as if a house, extension, farm building etc was applied for.

Q 2. What do we need to do to apply for planning permission?

A. In general the same rules apply as for any planning application:

AFAIK it is a part of the original planning. Wouldn't have any links to hand. I do recall seeing letters online relating to planning compliance. Not sure which planning though.

Spongebopp

tp25 wrote: »

it may not be too late to lodge objections, were the site notices put in place to obtain a planing permission?

Too late, the Bulldozers have moved in. All happening very fast, I am guessing they just need to carry out their original obligation to build a playground. So they are doing it quick and cheap.

I will be telling my little 'uns to cross at the top of the spine road where we live and walk down. Crossing where the playground is and where there are lots of cars coming off a Roundabout would be dangerous.

Great time to build it though, just coming into the winter

yellatdave

astrofluff wrote: »

AFAIK it is a part of the original planning. Wouldn't have any links to hand. I do recall seeing letters online relating to planning compliance. Not sure which planning though.

This is the response I received from Wicklow County Council today:

The playground under construction at present was granted planning permission in the location it is currently being constructed under 02/7340, two pedestrian crossings are to be provided across the spine road at this location by the developer (Zapi) as agreed under the planning permission.

Maybe some thought has gone into its location after all. At least with the pedestrian crossings, my safety concerns are slightly appeased!!

tp25

yellatdave wrote: »

This is the response I received from Wicklow County Council today:

The playground under construction at present was granted planning permission in the location it is currently being constructed under 02/7340, two pedestrian crossings are to be provided across the spine road at this location by the developer (Zapi) as agreed under the planning permission.

Maybe some thought has gone into its location after all. At least with the pedestrian crossings, my safety concerns are slightly appeased!!

put yourself into shoes on a visitors who often doesn't know the area, firstly they try to navigate the roundabout system within the estate and now they have to look into the pedestrian crossings at the very near distance to the roundabout, it will only add into the confusion there

leeomurchu

yellatdave wrote: »

This is the response I received from Wicklow County Council today:

The playground under construction at present was granted planning permission in the location it is currently being constructed under 02/7340, two pedestrian crossings are to be provided across the spine road at this location by the developer (Zapi) as agreed under the planning permission.

Maybe some thought has gone into its location after all. At least with the pedestrian crossings, my safety concerns are slightly appeased!!

In my experience pedestrian crossings close to roundabouts never work properly people are to preoccupied with navigating the roundabout. Also I wonder how long it will be before the pedestrian crossing becomes a handy parking spot.There should be a number of crossings on that road.

yellatdave

leeomurchu wrote: »

In my experience pedestrian crossings close to roundabouts never work properly people are to preoccupied with navigating the roundabout. Also I wonder how long it will be before the pedestrian crossing becomes a handy parking spot.There should be a number of crossings on that road.

I share your concerns. Let's hope the "powers that be" know what they are doing... not holding my breath though... :rolleyes:

matt-dublin

Its going to go ahead regardless of what you do.

The planning permission has been there for years, and not only is it planning permission, i believe its a condition.

The committees have been trying since day one to get the location moved but haven't been successful. They put an enormous amount of work in but weren't able to get anywhere.

The co co want to take ownership of the road, they can't until zapi finish all their conditions. zapi will want it done asap and won't risk delaying the process.

you'll probably find that the works will be completed before any objections even get in front of any of the council or planning committees.

matt-dublin

Its going to go ahead regardless of what you do.

The planning permission has been there for years, and not only is it planning permission, i believe its a condition.

The committees have been trying since day one to get the location moved but haven't been successful. They put an enormous amount of work in but weren't able to get anywhere.

The co co want to take ownership of the road, they can't until zapi finish all their conditions. zapi will want it done asap and won't risk delaying the process.

you'll probably find that the works will be completed before any objections even get in front of any of the council or planning committees.

Spongebopp

matt-dublin wrote: »

Its going to go ahead regardless of what you do.

The planning permission has been there for years, and not only is it planning permission, i believe its a condition.

The committees have been trying since day one to get the location moved but haven't been successful. They put an enormous amount of work in but weren't able to get anywhere.

The co co want to take ownership of the road, they can't until zapi finish all their conditions. zapi will want it done asap and won't risk delaying the process.

you'll probably find that the works will be completed before any objections even get in front of any of the council or planning committees.

We might as well embrace it, my kids are very excited about it and they tell me what progress has been made on it every evening when I get in from work. Two swing frames and a slide already in place. It will be complete in no time.
The location is unfortunate but in time people (drivers) will get used to it. In the mean time we need to teach the kids to cross where it is safe, I guess.

The Bishop Basher

Your positivity on this thread is a huge breath of fresh air Spongebopp.

Now if only you could find a way to can it and share it around

Spongebopp

Swanner wrote: »

Your positivity on this thread is a huge breath of fresh air Spongebopp.

Now if only you could find a way to can it and share it around

Why Thank You!

Chocolate fiend

My boys are over the moon about this playground as well. We don't have a garden and we can see the playground (clearly, too clearly almost ) from our balcony. They cannot wait to get out and play there. It's a great addition to the area.

IanL

People my think location is dangerous and I take that point but if you look at other side if older people(teenagers) get in at night, ie drinking cans etc they are way more likely to be seen and stopped. An extra sign or two for drivers to watch speed wouldn't go amiss though when it's up and running.

Annasopra

IanL wrote: »

People my think location is dangerous and I take that point but if you look at other side if older people(teenagers) get in at night, ie drinking cans etc they are way more likely to be seen and stopped. An extra sign or two for drivers to watch speed wouldn't go amiss though when it's up and running.

Off you go and contact the cllrs about signs then.

Honestly!

The playground was part of the planning as was the community centre, both to be completed in 2004. We ALL had newsletters about this YEARS ago and now the internet brigade are waking up asking "did the residents association know anything about this?" etc., etc. and "why isn't where I want it to be?!" The newsletters said exactly where the playground was to go and some of us did raise concerns with the FG councillors who had a close relationship with the developers. I was told that "it wasn't under their remit" and Zapi /Ballymore / Mountbrook could only build it where agreed under the planning or else re-apply and, "if I had a problem to contact An Bord Pleanala"! For a population of 3,000 - 4,000, the scale of the playground is totally inadequate. I pointed this out to the councillors (as the developer could not be contacted other than through a Fine Gael councillor) and I was told that the developer had only put €50k aside. This is the developer building a £Billion development of luxury apartments including a new American embassy at Grosvenor Sq. in London.

Anybody who voluntarily puts up with trying to do anything to represent you lot must be out of their minds! You should be asking the FG and FF councillors with their expenses accounts and developer friends, why they weren't insisting that development conditions were met in Charlesland etc. before going out doing their best to rezone and secure planning applications for more lucrative developments for the same developers. A lot of your concerns for facilities for your children don't extend far beyond spelling out your indignation in here, a lot of the reason why we are where we are.

ps. A homeowner told me she saw teens in the playground trying to destroy it, beating equipment with rods. She didn't even bother call the Gardai, because it "wasn't up to her" to do that...

Annasopra

Not everyone has lived here for YEARS.

There really is no need for you to hop up and down giving out to people who want to discuss these things.

Edit

I think it's perfectly fine to give out about this

Honestly! wrote: »

ps. A homeowner told me she saw teens in the playground trying to destroy it, beating equipment with rods. She didn't even bother call the Gardai, because it "wasn't up to her" to do that...

Honestly!

mango salsa wrote: »

Not everyone has lived here for YEARS.

There really is no need for you to hop up and down giving out to people who want to discuss these things.

Edit

I think it's perfectly fine to give out about this

Thanks for that.

yellatdave

Honestly! wrote: »

We ALL had newsletters about this YEARS ago and now the internet brigade are waking up asking "did the residents association know anything about this?" etc., etc.

Anybody who voluntarily puts up with trying to do anything to represent you lot must be out of their minds!

A lot of your concerns for facilities for your children don't extend far beyond spelling out your indignation in here, a lot of the reason why we are where we are.

What a cheerful post! :rolleyes:

Yes, we probably were informed about the location in a few newsletters YEARS AGO, and either got proactive like yourself, (fair play by the way), but didn't pursue in the long-run because it didn't go ahead. Others may have not realised the dangerous location because they were a bit more preoccupied with all that moving to this new estate & wonderful town entailed. Who knows?

Anyway, the fact is that the go-ahead for it snuck up on a lot of people, and its location came as a complete surprise. I for one did get onto the council & management company recently, as I'm sure many others did. And I'm also sure that there are many many people in Charlesland that would have ran those teens out of there if we had seen them... don't tar everyone with the same brush.

Spongebopp

yellatdave wrote: »

What a cheerful post! :rolleyes:

Yes, we probably were informed about the location in a few newsletters YEARS AGO, and either got proactive like yourself, (fair play by the way), but didn't pursue in the long-run because it didn't go ahead. Others may have not realised the dangerous location because they were a bit more preoccupied with all that moving to this new estate & wonderful town entailed. Who knows?

Anyway, the fact is that the go-ahead for it snuck up on a lot of people, and its location came as a complete surprise. I for one did get onto the council & management company recently, as I'm sure many others did. And I'm also sure that there are many many people in Charlesland that would have ran those teens out of there if we had seen them... don't tar everyone with the same brush.

I agree with yellatdave, it did seem to appear from nowhere. I have lived here from the start and was always vaguely aware we were supposed to get a playground. But I would have liked a little more discussion with the Community before just ploughing ahead. I don't remember a newsletter years ago, but why not send one out a few weeks ago telling people what was happening. We could have even fundraised to get something better, it looks very basic.

Rosina1969

I really dont think parking should be a concern...? will we not all be walking to it? I think it's a good location actually - near to the shops, equally accessible to everyone, no?

Spongebopp

Rosina1969 wrote: »

I really dont think parking should be a concern...? will we not all be walking to it? I think it's a good location actually - near to the shops, equally accessible to everyone, no?

Anyway, why has the work now ground to a halt?? It has been at the same stage for days now, I am not there during the day but I don't think any Builders have been there in atleast a week?? Strange?

Charlie-Bravo

Spongebopp wrote: »

Anyway, why has the work now ground to a halt?? It has been at the same stage for days now, I am not there during the day but I don't think any Builders have been there in atleast a week?? Strange?

Saw a couple of guys either on Tuesday or Wednesday working away. Looked like small work, possibly doing the brick edging in preparation for the surface. Has slowed down alright.