Bikes, burnt-out cars and ‘plaster patches’
By Maurice Garvey
CCTV has been installed by Dublin City Council (DCC) to monitor dumping on Rossmore Road in Ballyfermot.
It is one of a number of measures the City Council says they are working on to tackle anti-social activity in and around the California Hills.
The scrambler tracks on the California Hills
Another measure is extending the gate on Kylemore Road, to prevent access for scramblers’ bikes – this is due to be fitted shortly.
In a recent parks report, DCC said the gate at Rossmore Road has been replaced with a ‘deadmans gate’ which prevents access to the park by horses.
Parks officials said there have been no reports of horses in the park for “many months”.
A member of the California Hills residents’ committee, said the main problem at the park currently is “scramblers and stolen cars”.
11-point plan
“We gave an 11-point plan to DCC parks, requesting certain things that need to be looked at, including the need to fix the main entrance and deal with rubbish that is left there for weeks on end,” said the committee member.
“We asked where the duty of care is. We can’t let our kids play in the park. There is a constant loudspeaker noise. Weekends are the worst time for bikes and cars.
“Authorities take burnt-out cars away quickly so that people can’t see them. The discretionary fund was supposed to put €35,000 into the park, and a lot of that went on sticking plaster patches on a path from Rossmore to Kylemore.”
In the council parks report, DCC said two unused paths have been removed and depressions have been filled – while some of the remaining paths which require tarmac will be completed by the end of the year.
