fatima ppp-p.elliott actions cause strife

dublin | housing | news report

Friday August 31, 2007 04:37

by d.farrell - four terraces residents group

dam.farr at hotmail dot com

broad agreement risks un-ravelling

Fatima Regeneration Project Phase 2 is again plunged into turmoil as a consequence of Developer P.Elliott/Maplewood acting in contravention of agreement with local residents despite their co-operation in what could be only best described as a un selfish act of burden bearing by a minority of residents in order to achieve benefits that would be by and large enjoyed by many people some from far wider afield from their local community.

UNMANNED SECURITY HUT

Following a consistant and persistant failure of P.Elliott/Maplewood to abide by its planning conditions with reference to permitted hours of work over a period of months from Sept 06 and culminating in a site blocade and subsequent serving of notice on site by DCC Planning Enforcement in Nov 06 a serious of negotiations began during March 07 under the Fatima Adjoining Street Forum.

The basis of the discussions was to reach local agreement from residents of Clarkes Terrace to agree the implementation of a temporary pedestrian walkway to join Reuben Street to Clarkes Terrace and beyond to St James Walk which is serviced by Luas services.This route would be the formal alternative route to permit P.Elliott to secure another 12mth closure order for Reuben Street.This laneway would run approx along a route similar to a route closed for its notoriety with anti social behaviour many years ago known locally as "the back of the pipes".This route had been suggested over a year prior but was rejected by residents in close proximity.

During the discussions with FASF,Fatima Regeneration Board,DCC Project Management/DCC Housing and residences and P.Elliott/Maplewood a proposal to provide an extensive precinct improvement package that would prioritise contributary areas and areas which physically integrate with project was suggested,the funding for this would be provided by Area Development Plan,DCC Housing,FRB and P.Elliott/Maplewood.DCC insisted that the plan should incorporate in some way the Rialto Area Action Plan,a much travelled precinct improvement plan which was bold and extensive but without adequate funding to date.P.Elliott insisted that a concession on flexability on working hours be an integral part of any agreement,this will be specific to particular types of low noise producing works and only ocassional and up to 7pm.FASF insisted that Demolition&Const Working Group of the FRB would have final decision on a residents accepted precinct improvement package which was to make for the provisions of small front gardens to dwellings on Clarkes Terrace to create safe own space to reduce the impact of pedestrian traffic through a future to be open integrated community as oppossed to a historical cul de sac community.The laneway was also to be opened up at Mallin Avenue junction with Clarkes Terrace,a more open area to eliminate/reduce the burden of foot traffic and the predicted problems the area can throw up away from a minority of residents.A proviso was also put in place that the existance of the laneway would be reviewed with the prospect of closing it if it became a danger or an un bearable problem due to unmanageable anti social behaviour.

At a meeting on Tue 12th of June the agreement was presented and accepted by residents of Four Terraces Residents Group subject to assurances of safety of laneway be aquired at meetings with Gardai and P.Elliott implement cctv and adequate fencing and security to prevent incursions from laneway to site and particularly residents dwellings and areas behind gardens of homes.The laneway was to be kept under constant,close review.However problems immediately arose when P.Elliott opened the laneway onto the bottom of Clarkes Terrace,a cul de sac as opposed to the agreed position at Mallin Ave junction.The fencing was also initially inadequate and even though it is much approved it is constantly breached by children as young as 8/10yr old.

Anti social behaviour,such as drug dealing,public drinking and intimidating congregations added fuel to already a tense situation.Then P.Elliotts further stretched things by informing residents that necassary services had to be installed on Clarkes Terrace to service one of the new apartment blocks.In order to do this the road in front of their front gardenless homes would have to be excavated to approx 5metres deep along the 5 residencies adjacent to the mouth of the pedestrian walkway.This would mean that the site boundary hoarding would have to be extended right up to the foot path,approx 3ft from their front windows and hall doors.The works would last for 2wks and P.Elliott agreed to provide designated security from 6pm at night to guard residents,their homes and their vehicles during the night as the y could no longer park their vehicles where they could monitor them themselves.An emergency door was also to be provided,to be managed by the designated security to permit speedy access to or for emergency vehicles to a clearway on the inside of the site that could be acessed un obstructed through the site to site entrance on Reuben Street.

On Monday 20th of Aug 2007 the works began with disasterous consequences.P.Elliotts workmen placed the hoarding in the wrong position and it took residents a whole day of open argueing with Elliott management and the intervention of DCC Project Management to have them adhere to agreed position but it took them another 24hrs to enact this.They then failed to secure the closure of pedestrian walkway despite being instructed to do so by recommendation of DCC Health and Safety until Wed 29th of Aug,between this and their failure at all to re attach razor wire on top of hoarding to prevent people climbing over the top Clarkes Terrace residents were constantly faced with lost and deliberate persons climbing over a hoarding virtually into their front rooms,this caused many angry confrontations between residents and laneway users.But the most worrying of all was the failure of P.Elliotts to provide designated security as per agreement until Thur 30th of Aug 07,this left residents with no security actually living in a laneway and without personnel to activate the agreed emergency evacuation plan for almost two weeks.

Residents relationship with P.Elliott have hit an all time low with residents in a block of 5 dwellings whom have sufferred the most without arguement determined to move,some of them are private owners of up to 60yrs and others DCC tenents whom are actively seeking transfers.Residents Reps have instructed FRB and DCC that in protest they are withdrawing their agreement to allow flexibility on working hours of site until further notice,are initiating debate to seek total closure of pedestrian walkway and are proposing a meeting scheduled for Tue 4/9/07 be posponed to allow for things to cool down.The intervention of DCC Planning Enforcement has been re enacted to ensure that planning conditions are adhered to or if not are acted on by prosecution during this period.Residents are due to meet early next week to consider how to proceed.However some residents stillremain adamant that they no longer want to live in the community as a result of confrontations.

PROXIMITY OF HOARDING TO DWELLINGS