Repainted roadmarkings

Have you noticed the newly redrawn traffic markings in the estate yet? They are hard to miss and should alleviate a longstanding safety problem as they gradually disappeared over the last 20+ years. This issue was raised by Ashefield residents association with Ken Glynn who delivered on it for us. Many thanks to him for staying on it and seeing it through to a successful outcome.

Wall repairs update

Repairs to the boundary wall adjacent to the apartments near the entrance to the estate have been carried out. As discussed in the recent AGM, the planned scope of work involved the repair of blockwork and replacement of pier cappings. Thanks to Cllr. Ken Glynn, Westmeath County Council is also carrying out repairs to the sunken footpath sections next to this wall.

2013-08-09 13.51.17

2013-08-09 13.52.42

Boundary wall repairs

 

 

 

2013 Ashefield Residents Association AGM Report

Thanks to all the residents who attended the 2013 AGM of Ashefield Resident’s Association. We also want to thank Cllr. Ken Glynn who also participated in this meeting and provided valuable input.

Joe Gettings, Chairperson of Ashefield Residents Association, chaired the meeting and shared a presentation outlining the agenda items as follows:

The points discussed at the meeting were as follows

  • Budget and expenditure

Accounts summary 2013

The 2012 accounts were presented and all expenditure items were detailed [see the presentation for details] . Projected expenditure for 2013 was also discussed ( primarily grass cutting and upkeep of the estate common areas ). The main works carried out during 2012/2013 to date involved the maintenance of the green areas within the estate and replacement of missing signage.

  • Boundary wall at apartments

It was agreed that the boundary wall adjacent to the apartments near the entrance of Ashefield requires attention. Through the Chair, the committee took an action to seek quotes from potential contractors for the repair of the blockwork and pier cappings for the wall only. It was noted that any proposed additional work inside or outside the boundary wall could not be undertaken as it would be the clear responsibility of the apartment owners or Westmeath County Council. It was also agreed that following a review of the quotes received by the committee, the contractor offering the best value would be selected to undertake the work.

  • Annual Collection

Volunteers were identified to help collect this years contributions towards the upkeep of the common areas of the estate. A note regarding this year’s collection was distributed in the fortnight before the AGM and also posted on ashefield.com .  In addition to this, Credit Union and Westmeath County Council grants have been applied for. It was noted that the €30 annual contribution / household  in Ashefield is low compared to Petitswood Manor (€100), Lakepoint (€100), and Sherwood Park (€50).

  • Grass cutting 2013

It was agreed to retain the services of the existing contractor to the high quality and value of the work carried out.

  • Committee – election

No new nominations for the 2013 committee were received and the existing committee members were re-elected.

Joe Gettings (Chairperson)

David Conroy (Secretary)

John Scales (Treasurer)

Maria Colvert (Collection of contributions)

Martin Tourish (Collection of contributions)

Keith Nolan (Web admin)

  • Westmeath County Council

Concerns regarding  the green area adjacent to the C-Link road were discussed. In particular,  it was pointed out it is unclear who has responsibility for this area. A number of potential uses for this area and immediate actions regarding grass cutting were outlined. Cllr. Ken Glynn offered to ask a representative from Westmeath County Council to meet him and committee members at the estate to assess this area.

  • Access lane between Ashefield and Abbeylands

Issues regarding the access lane between Ashefield and Abbeylands were raised. It was agreed that no action could be considered until the views of all residents in Ashefield regarding the lane access could be surveyed.

  • Dogs and dog litter

It was agreed that dog fouling is a growing problem in the estate. Dog owners must remove their pets’ waste from public places and dispose of it in a proper manner.  Signage  advertising the law regarding this is clearly displayed at the entrance of the estate. It was also noted that dog littering does not only have to be witnessed to be reported; dog owners that do not carry a litter bag/pooper scooper when walking dogs can be reported also.

  • Closing

The meeting attendees were thanked and the meeting was adjourned at 8.45pm.

Council response to a question regarding Ashefield entrance safety concerns

Cllr. Ken Glynn asked Westmeath County Council about progress made regarding safety concerns at the pedestrian crossing near the entrance to Ashefield on Ashe Road. Cllr. Glynn had asked the Council’s Road Safety Officer to visit this location and assess the issue. Westmeath County Council’s Road Safety Officer replied that they had reviewed this pedestrian crossing:
The crossing is located on Ashe Road between the Ashefield roundabout and the entrance to Tesco. This road has high traffic volumes generated by the location of primary schools, residential areas and the Tesco Shopping Centre. The crossing area is positioned 5 metres off the roundabout. All relevant warning signage is provided.  Both approaches to the crossing along the Ashe Road have good forward visibility. For traffic emerging from Ashefield Estate, the crossing has been found to be positioned at the optimum location for both motorists and pedestrians. The current position of the crossing allows a motorist full visibility of the crossing and of both waiting areas on the footpath, from the yield line emerging from Ashefield Estate. By moving it further from the roundabout, motorists would be unable to view pedestrians if they are on the nearside footpath and attempting to cross. The road markings at the crossing are slightly worn and it is proposed that these markings be improved next year. The Council will continue to monitor the safety of this crossing.
Further information is available on Cllr. Glynn’s blog

Attention Dog Owners

Are you a dog owner? Due to the number of dog fouling instances in the estate, which are public health hazards, and loose/unmuzzled dogs, we’d like to bring the following information from Westmeath County Council’s control of animals webpage to your attention.

Dog owners responsibilities:

  • A person in charge of a dog must clean up when the dog fouls in a public place. Owners who fail to do so are liable to an ‘on-the-spot’ of €150
  • Keep their dog/s under control in a public place.
  • Dogs must wear a collar and tag bearing the name and address of the owner.
  • Certain breeds of potentially dangerous dogs must be kept on a short strong leash and muzzled whenever they are in a public place.

Licensing:

If you have a dog over 4 months old, you must have a licence for it and the person to whom the licence is issued must be over 16 years of age.

A dog licence may be purchased online or at any Post Office.

If you do not have a licence for your dog, you are liable to a €30.00 on-the-spot fine.

Failure to pay this fine can lead to a prosecution with a maximum fine of €1,270.00 and/or up to 3 months imprisonment if convicted.

Breeds of dog to which certain regulations apply under the Control of Dogs Act:

  • American Pit Bull Terrier
  • Bulldog
  • Bull Mastiff
  • Dobermann Pinscher
  • English Bull Terrier
  • German Shepherd (Alsatian)
  • Japanese Akita
  • Japanese Tosa
  • Rhodesian Ridgeback
  • Rottweiler
  • Staffordshire Bull Terrier
  • Every dog of the type commonly known as a Ban Dog (or Bandog) and to every other strain or cross of every breed or type of dog described above.
Further information:

Link to Westmeath County Council’s control of dogs webpage

An Post’s dog licensing webpage

 

Letter from Robert Troy T.D. regarding council responses to Ashefield-related queries

The following letter from Robert Troy T.D.,  dated  8th May 2011, was delivered to all houses in Ashefield and addresses a number of issues raised at the recent Residents Association AGM:

 

Dear Resident,

I am writing to you further to my attendance at your recent residents association AGM.  Following this meeting I requested my two colleague’s  Cllr. Bill Collentine and Cllr. Ken Glynn to raise the issues of concern to the residents at the next Mullingar Town Council meeting. Please see on reverse of this letter a comprehensive list of questions they asked and the replies given. We will continue to pursue these issues on your behalf.

I am enclosing a card with all our contact details for your information.  Please do not hesitate in contacting any of us should you feel we can be of any assistance to you, your family or friends in the future.

Best wishes,

Robert Troy T.D.

 

Cllr. Glynn:             That Westmeath County Council would maintain the green area at the entrance to Ashefield estate, similiar to the green strip across the road.

Reply:  This is a matter for the Ashefield Residents Association.

 

Cllr. Collentine:              Can Westmeath County Council advise what responsibility it has to ensure that the communal areas of the apartment block in Ashefield are maintained in good order, in the absence of a management company?

ReplyIt is a matter for the residents of the Ashefield apartments to make arrangements for the upkeep of any communal areas.

 

Cllr. Collentine:              Can Westmeath County Council advise that assistance it can provide to the residents of Ashefield under the National Spring Clean competition towards the removal of graffiti?

Reply:   Graffiti removal would not be covered by the National Spring Clean campaign. Westmeath County Council is currently awaiting details of the 2011 Anti Litter and Anti Graffiti Grants Scheme from the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government. When details are received, an application form will be forwarded to Ashefield Residents Association.

 

Cllr. Collentine:             Can Westmeath County Council advise it it has a schedule in place for the roadsweeper to come into the Ashefield estate and if possible to ensure that laneways are swept out as well?

Reply:  This estate is included in the road sweeping schedule and is swept once every three months.

 

Cllr. Glynn:             To ask Westmeath County Council to provide a litter bin at the entrance to Ashefield.

Reply: There is a litter bin at the entrance to the Ashefield. Mullingar Area Office will examine locating another bin at the entrance to TESCO. However, stopping the bin collection vehicle in this area is problematic from a safety view point.

 

Cllr. Glynn:              To ask Westmeath County Council if it will carry out extensive remedial works on the green area between Ashefield and Abbeylands.

Reply: Mullingar Area Office plans to cut the grass in this large open space this year with a heavy duty mower so that it can be maintained by the residents association. Mullingar Area Office also intends to commence a multi-annual programme of landscaping works along the Western By-Pass R394 this year. This section of the R394 will be included in the programme

 

 

Water restrictions set to continue for the next 5 nights

Westmeath Co. Co. issued a water supply update for Westmeath just after 4pm today, which was quickly updated by the current notice released at 5pm.  Despite the plan to continue the water restrictions, the evening shut-off time has been extended to 9pm . This, no doubt,  should be a relief to those of you who returned to work today and may have a distance to travel.

•    Tuesday night / Wednesday morning – Tuesday 4th January /Wednesday 5th January, 9.00pm to 9.00 am

All water consumers are advised that nightly water supply restrictions will continue in order to replenish water levels in Council reservoirs for the next 5 nights.
Standpipes throughout the Mullingar Area have been withdrawn today,  Tuesday due to the improvement in supply.

Last night and early this morning, we emailed our local Mullingar West councilors Robert Troy and Ken Glynn in addition to Westmeath Co. Co.  The emails asked for help by postponing the shut-off times until 10pm in order to allow the commuting workers in our local area a chance to get home and to use mains-fed showers, cook, and wash before the water is switched off.  These messages were followed up by more phone calls to the council today.

Update [06-Jan]: Robert Troy contacted me to say he talked to the council about the water. Thanks for that, Robert.

Holes in the walls of planning conditions

It’s difficult not to notice that the wall between the estate main entrance road and apartments is deteriorating.  This wall runs between the block of apartments and main estate along the main estate entrance road.  However, due to its location, it has been unclear who is responsible for the upkeep of this wall.

Members of Ashefield’s residents’ committee contacted Westmeath County Council about this.  The main aims here were to clarify who is responsible for the maintenance of this wall and to try and get the problems fixed.  The key questions raised, and responses received from the council are:

Q. For some time now, we have been observing the slow but seemingly inexorable descent into decrepitude of the low boundary wall between the apartments and the estate proper. There doesn’t seem to be anyone taking responsibility for the condition of this wall.

A. The boundary walls of an Estate become the responsibility of the residents once an Estate has been Taken in Charge and are the responsibility of the residents/Management company (whichever is applicable) of any apartments from the date of first occupancy/formation of Management Company. (Reference Westmeath County Council’s “Guidelines for Purchasers in Residential Developments” Policy)


Q. The original planning permission (97/655) had a condition (#30) that a management company was to be established to look after the maintenance of the apartments and common areas. This led to the registration of a company called Minkridge Management Company Limited in March/April 2001. Looking up this company on www.cro.ie I find that its status is recorded as “dissolved” with an effective date of June 2002. It seems clear that this company was never intended to actually perform the maintenance role and was a mere artifice in the successful attempt by Fernside Homes Ltd. to gain planning permission.

A. Condition 30 of Planning Reference 97/655 has been complied with by the Developer in 2001 in that the Management Company was set up for the maintenance of the apartments

Q. Are there separate planning references (presumably with attached conditions) for the different phases of the scheme’s development?

A. The only main Planning Reference for this Development appears to be Ref. 97/655, however you can come into our offices and request a Planning Search and ask to view the Planning Files.

Q. The planning reference only seems to cover Apts. 10-26 (there is no Apt. #13). There is an additional block of apartments (27-30) for which I don’t have a separate planning reference. Is there a separate planning permission for #27-30? Are there any conditions related to a management company?

A. I am not aware of a separate Planning Reference for apartments 27-30, however, you can view Planning File Ref. 97/655 in this regard.
Q. It is my understanding that the council endeavors to ensure that all conditions on planning permissions are satisfied prior to taking an estate in charge. I gather that the council doesn’t take apartment developments in charge, but can your enforcement section offer any input here? It would seem like the lack of a management company would have been evident when the council took the estate in charge?
A. At the time that the Estate was being Taken in Charge, the Apartments would not have been taken into consideration as they were not being Taken in Charge.