BALLINCOLLIG TIDY TOWNS UPDATE
It was decided that Volunteers and Transition Year students would be stood down for two weeks for health and safety reasons and we would take a look at the situation after that time. Some people have continued to do litter picking. We have no objection whatsoever if people wish to continue to do this around their areas or on the streets while taking exercise. Bags can be left out and we will collect them and take them to the Allotment.
All our CE Workers have been asked to stay home for the duration of the lockdown so we will not see much work being done in the coming weeks. However, when the lockdown is lifted and it is deemed safe for them to return to their work, the backlog will be cleared and it will be full steam ahead with the weekly work and new projects.
Planning for summer planting is well ahead and 2021 will hopefully be even better than previous years.
NEW DEVELOPMENT FOR BALLINCOLLIG
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40201365.html
Planning permission has been granted for 113 new homes and apartments on the outskirts of Ballincollig in Cork.
The Maglin strategic housing development (SHD) project — 59 houses and 54 apartments on undeveloped agricultural land on the western fringes of the town just 300m to the northeast of the historic Ballincollig Castle — had faced intense local opposition amid concerns over its location, off a quiet rural road, and its potential impact on the castle site.
However, An Bórd Pleanála has approved the Stonecrest Construction Limited scheme, with 23 routine conditions.
The developers lodged their planning application with the Bórd last September through the SHD fast-track application process for large housing developments.
They sought approval for 113 residential units to include 59 two-storey dwellings in a mix of four and three-bedroom semi-detached houses, two and three-bedroom terraced homes, and a 54-unit apartment building ranging in height between four and five storeys over basement, with a mix of three, two and one-bedroom apartments.
The scheme included a two-storey creche, and improvement works to the Maglin Road from its junction with Castle Road to the proposed site entrance, including the provision of a pedestrian crossing and dedicated pedestrian and cycle paths along both sides of Maglin Road.
Three pedestrian and cyclist entrances from the adjacent Maglin View estate to the north of the development site are also proposed.
But city councillors and residents in Maglin were opposed to the development.
They made observations on the application on issues, including concerns about the increase of traffic on Maglin Road and the lack of road infrastructure to support that increase, and the housing density.
Residents said they are in favour of “sustainable development” but that a number of large-scale housing developments had been approved in the town in recent months without additional infrastructure, roads, or public transport provision.
In its observation, Cork City Council said it was in favour of the scheme subject to 48 conditions.
In a 73-page report, Bórd inspector Irené McCormack said while she noted the infrastructure concerns, she agreed with the views of the city council, as the planning authority, that the local area plan for this part of Ballincollig clearly states that in order to promote the accelerated delivery of housing through the development of the Maglin site, the phasing arrangements proposed are flexible, depending only on the delivery of the relevant supporting infrastructure.
‘Acceptable’ Housing Density
She also said the housing density proposed is “acceptable” in the context of the site’s location in a major town in the Cork Metropolitan area, and given its context and the relationship to the immediately adjoining pattern of established suburban housing, and the services and amenities accessible to the site, including public transport, describing the proposed development as representing “a staggered transition” to increasing density in the wider urban expansion area.
The Bórd granted permission and said subject to compliance with the various conditions, it was satisfied that the SHD would not seriously injure the residential or visual amenities in the area, would be acceptable in terms of urban design, height, and density, would not have a negative impact on the character or setting of Ballincollig Castle and would be acceptable in terms of traffic and pedestrian safety.
VACCINE NEWS
The country’s Covid-19 vaccination programme at nursing homes got underway this week. Paul Reid of the HSE said that staff and residents from 25 nursing homes should receive the first doses of the vaccine this week. They also hope to start vaccinations in twenty hospitals across the country Reid told the Claire Byrne show on RTE Radio 1.
Their aim is to target the most vulnerable over the next three weeks following up with the second dose three weeks later.
The Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said that 4,000 people received the first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 jab in the first days of the vaccination programme last week. He indicated that they would be increasing that to approx. 35,000 this week.
They will be working hard to make sure nursing homes, hospitals, healthcare workers, frontline healthcare workers in community care and hospitals will be vaccinated he said. It is understood that all residents and staff in the 580 nursing homes in the country will have received their first dose by the end of January.
Ireland is due to receive 40,000 Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines each week during January and February so this will cover the 70,000 people working and living in nursing homes. The HSE has set a target that all will have received both jabs by the end of February. Potential outbreaks of the virus in nursing homes could however affect that target.
Paul Reid of the HSE said that the jab would be given to people seven days a week and over the next six weeks the HSE would oversee the rollout of 240,000 vaccines. He also added that in the initial weeks the HSE would be holding onto some vaccines to ensure that they have enough to administer the second dose to those who are due it even if there was a temporary supply chain issue as has happened in other countries.
Authorisation for the use of the second Covid-19 vaccine Moderna was granted by THE EU’S MEDICINES regulator during the week. This second vaccine provides another tool to fight this pandemic. The authorization is for use in people from the age of 18 and trials that included some 18,000 people demonstrated a 94.1% effectiveness rate.
Minster for Health Stephen Donnelly has said that Ireland has ordered 875,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine and that “the logistics are being finalised”. There is no definite date in place yet as to when the Moderna vaccine will arrive in Ireland but this should become clear in the coming weeks. When Ireland receives these vaccines the HSE will be in a position to increase the number of vaccines administered every week.
NURSING HOME VACCINE ROLLOUT DATES FOR CORK
Amberley Home Convalescent & Respite Care 11/01/21
Abbeylands Nursing Home & Alzheimer Unit 13/01/21
Ballincurrig Care Centre Ltd. 14/01/21
Beaumont Residential Care 15/01/21
Bishopscourt Residential Care Ltd. 19/01/21
Blair’s Hill Nursing Home 20/01/21
Blarney Nursing Home and Retirement Home 21/01/21
Brookfield Care Centre 22/01/21
Cahereen Nursing Home 25/01/21
Carechoice Macroom 26/01/21
Carechoice Ballynoe 28/01/21
Corpus Christi Nursing Home 29/01/21
Fairfield Nursing Home 11/01/21
Cramers Court Nursing Home 12/01/21
Darraglynn Nursing Home 13/01/21
Douglas Nursing and Retirement Home 14/01/21
Glendonagh Nursing Home 15/01/21
Carechoice Clonakilty 18/01/21
Grange Con Nursing Home 19/01/21
Haven Bay Care Centre Ltd. 20/01/21
Carechoice Montenotte 22/01/21
Nazareth House Cork 26/01/21
Norwood Grange Nursing Home 28/01/21
Oaklodge Nursing Home 29/01/21
St. Joseph’s Hospital Bon Secour 11/01/21
St. Luke’s Nursing Home Cork 13/01/21
Bushmount Nursing Home 18/01/21
Bandon Community Hospital 20/01/21
Teach Altra Nursing Home 21/01/21
Rochestown Nursing Home 22/01/21
Rosenalee Care Centre Ltd. 25/01/21
Strawhall Nursing Home 26/01/21
St. Martha’s Nursing Home Cork 27/01/21
Skibbereen Residential Care Centre 28/01/21
Padre Pio House Mallow 29/01/21
Cobh Community Hospital 11/01/21
Clonakilty Community Hospital and Long Stay Unit (Mount Carmel Home & Hospital) 12/01/21
Fermoy Community Hospital 14/01/21
Midleton Community Hospital and Long Stay Unit (Our Lady of Lourdes) 18/01/21
St. Finbarr’s Hospital 19/01/21
Macroom Community Hospital 22/01/21
Kanturk Community Hospital 25/01/21
Youghal Community Hospital 26/01/21
Youghal & District Nursing Home 27/01/21
St. Joseph’s Community Hospital Cork 29/01/21
Cois Abhainn Residential Centre 11/01/21
Kinsale Community Hospital 12/01/21
Skibbereen Community Hospital (St. Anne’s) 13/01/21
Dunmanway Community Hospital (St. Anthony’s) 14/01/21
Schull Community Hospital (St. Gabriel’s) 15/01/21
Castletownbere Community Hospital (St. Joseph’s) 18/01/21
Farranlea Community Nursing Unit 19/01/21
Marymount University Hospital & Hospice 21/01/21
St. Joseph’s Unit, Bantry General Hospital 25/01/21
Araglen House Nursing Home 26/01/21
Ballincollig Community Nursing Unit 27/01/21
Unit 1 St. Stephen’s Hospital 29/01/21
Heather House Community Nursing Unit 11/01/21
Mount Alvernia Hospital 13/01/21
Mount Cara 14/01/21
Conna Nursing Home 15/01/21
Maryborough Nursing Home 18/01/21
Deerpark House Nursing Home 19/01/21
Bridhaven Nursing Home 20/01/21
Powdermill Nursing Home & Care Centre 25/01/21
Glyntown Care Centre 26/01/21
Padre Pio Rochestown 27/01/21
Windmill House Nursing Home 28/01/21
Fairy Hill Nursing Home 29/01/21
STRESS CONTROL – ONLINE COURSE JANUARY 2021