Service levels to Sean Walsh Park have ‘fallen off a cliff’
THERE are growing concerns from residents who feel that a local Green Flag Park is receiving a significant “reduction in service” due to the relocation of South Dublin County Council’s depot, stating that service levels have “fallen off a cliff”.
Due to the ongoing construction of the 81-unit Clúid Housing Older Persons Specific Project on Whitestown Way in Tallaght, there have been serious concerns raised following the removal of the council depot in Sean Walsh Park.
Back in 2018 when the plans were initially proposed for the development, there were over 500 submissions received by South Dublin County Council opposing the build.
The plans caused consternation in the community and with local resident’s and environmental groups, with many concerned that the standard of cleanliness in Sean Walsh Park will not be maintained if the council depot is removed, putting the park’s green flag at risk.
One resident’s group in the area, St Martin’s Resident’s Association, are now saying that these concerns have become a reality as they feel that the park is receiving a “reduction in service” and standards are not being met from Public Realm staff.
“The main concern which was raised when the development was proposed is the removal of the council facilities up in Sean Walsh Park to facilitate apartments, which would have a knock-on effect in the area, and that is what we are seeing,” a member of St Martin’s Resident’s Association, Dave, told The Echo.
As part of the development, the council depot, caretaker’s house and two small community gardens on site are being levelled, with council workers from the depot being redeployed to the Tymon Park council depot.
“These issues were raised when these plans were proposed, and we were reassured that it would not have any impact at all – but it clearly is,” Dave continued.
“It was one of the key reasons that we objected to the apartments being built. It wasn’t necessarily because people in the area didn’t want apartments being built, it was more a case of it taking something from us and from the area to facilitate those apartments.”
The Resident’s Association have issued a letter to local councillors in Tallaght, asking for a review of resourcing and the impact of the travel times to and from Tymon for Public Realm staff.
“Bin emptying, we feel has dropped back and part of the reason would appear to be because the staff are now coming from Tymon to Old Bawn opposed to coming from Sean Walsh Park directly,” Dave added.
“We are seeing less grass-cutting and we are having to do more litter picks. Graffiti removal is being affected and the grass doesn’t seem to be trimmed around traffic signs and poles, so we are having to do that also.
“We have done a lot of work in the past few years to get the park up to a nice standard and we are very concerned that the removal of the workers out to Tymon is going to have the effect that we thought it would.”
St Martin’s Residents Association also expressed their concerns around bonfire removals in the park as we approach Halloween.
“We are heading into the bonfire season as well and in previous years, the council have been great at removing debris, but we are really concerned this year that they are just not going to be able to,” said Dave.
“It is too far of a distance to get that stuff removed. We have worked really hard since 2017 to stop fires on that pitch and we just feel that we are being left high and dry.”
