Composting workshop

For the gardeners in Ashefield and those who just simply want to cut down on the amount of waste being left out for bin collection, not to mention the expense of bin tags, composting is a handy option.  Westmeath Co. Co. is organising a free composting workshop on Thursday September 17 in the Arts Centre, Mullingar at 7pm.

The Irish Peatland Conservation Council will be on hand to show you how to recycle household organic waste and turn it into compost.

compost

Booking is required and places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

If you’d like to go, contact Bernie Ginnell, environmental awareness officer, Westmeath County Council.

Telephone: 044 9332125

Email: bernadette.ginnell [at] westmeathcoco.ie (replace [at] with @)

Keeping drains clear and streetlamps lit

Westmeath Co. Co. was notified about a blocked gulley outside #130 and a non-functioning street light beside the pedestrian walkway into Abbeylands.  Regarding the gulley, the request was passed on to the  General Services Supervisor to have it unblocked as soon as possible.  As for the streetlight, Westmeath Co. Co. notified the ESB to carry out the necessary repairs. Hopefully both issues will be resolved shortly.

streetlamp

If you notice any problems regarding blocked gulleys, broken streetlights, or some other issue that needs council attention, the easiest thing to do is to send an email to:

mullingararea [at] westmeathcoco.ie (replace ‘[at]’ with @)

It only takes a couple of minutes and you should get a response within a day or so.

Make sure to include the nearest house number(s) to help them locate the problem area.  For streetlight problems, each light has a number located on the pole about 10ft off the ground and it’s useful to include this number too.

Contributing to the upkeep of the estate

Over the last few weeks, contributions for the voluntary upkeep of the estate by the residents are being collected from houses towards the end of the estate.  The bulk of the contributions goes towards the maintenance of the four green areas. However these contributions also help with buying petrol, weedkiller, bin bags & tags, and replacement capstones for public boundary walls where they are missing. We are planning a clean-up afternoon for the near future where all these items will be put to good use.

Sincere thanks to all those who have contributed so far.  For those unable to contribute the yearly contribution of €30, all amounts and multiple installments are most appreciated. In addition to monetary contributions, offers to lend a hand and borrow tools are just as important.

Please do say Hi to two of your neighbours, Martin and Keith who will be dropping by. They are also collecting email addresses to help keep everyone updated too.  Bearing in mind that not everyone has the same block of spare time to help with this, a quick email may be a faster way to assemble a cleanup team willing to help at possibly short notice.

Welcome – like to add to this site?

Welcome to the website for Ashefield Estate in Mullingar, Co. Westmeath. The aim is to have a one-stop information resource with up to date information regarding the residents’ committee, Ashefield-related in the newspapers, council issues, and any other information that will be of use or of interest to the residents of the estate.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll continue to add new information and handy resources. We’d really like to get some photographs of the estate for the site so please do email them to us. Most importantly, we welcome your ideas about what you would like to see on this website.

Contact us by either emailing info@165.227.235.101 or registering as a user and posting a comment.

This is a voluntary unfunded effort at the moment and is for all the residents of Ashefield.

Trimming trees in Ashefield

Some of the trees alongside the roads in Ashefield, particularly those sited beside the street lights are in need of a trim. The tall trees and leaves are blocking the light onto pathways in some areas; it is a problem that is particularly apparent during this time of the year.

This was one of the concerns raised during recent visits to houses 120-210. These trees are the responsibility of Westmeath County Council, who were contacted and asked about trimming them.

Their response:

Under the Wildlife Acts 1976 – 2000, local authorities are restricted from carrying out any
hedge/tree cutting or pruning during the period between 1st March and 31st August. I have asked our General Services Supervisor to have a look at the trees in question and he has reported that there are a number of trees in need of pruning in Ashefield estate, however, it will not be possible to undertake this work until the end of October/beginning of November bearing in mind the resources and finances available to us in the current year.

We intend to follow up on this. If you wish to add to the list of locations in Ashefield where roadside trees are in need of trimming, please add them to the comments below. It would be helpful to specify the house number(s) or number on the street light where the problem exists.

Minutes of the residents association AGM

Ashefield’s resident association’s annual general meeting took place in the Newbury Hotel on Thursday July 2nd, 2009.  Cllr. Robert Troy was also in attendance. Below are the minutes:

  1. Mowing – new contractor engaged; €120/cut for 4 greens; season bill ~= €1600. Some debate re responsibility for the large green area alongside C-link road. (R. Troy/E. Flynn to investigate ownership).
  2. Verges  – maintenance is responsibility of individual householders/residents
  3. Trees – vandalised trees replaced by residents association; maintenance of trees done by council. Responsibility for removal of felled trees along C-link to be determined [see a) above]
  4. General maintenance – some capstones missing around the estate – (1 pillar/1 wall at apartments; 1 pillar at ESB substation; others?). If finances allow, the residents association will source volunteers/contractors to replace same.
  5. Litter & Bin collection – overfilled bins are a litter hazard. If the bin lid can’t be closed, there’s scope for rubbish being blown around.
  6. Dogs – increase in # of dogs running about unsupervised – some of which are on special restrictions list. Dog fouling not being addressed by owners.
  7. ASB – level of anti-social behaviour seems to have abated. It’s important people keep on top of it and report it where witnessed.
  8. Empty/rented houses – high level of rentals in the estate (25% registered with PRTB; probably half as many again not registered)
  9. Contributions – low level of contributions from 120-210; need to pitch relevance of RA to these areas differently. Yvonne, Chris, Martin and Keith to act as area reps.
  10. Finances – state of finances as at Dec. 08 published
  11. Election of Officers – Chairman: Eddie Flynn; Secretary: Tom Brophy; Treasurer: Conor Loftus. [Committee members remained unchanged at this meeting]