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Public Libraries are changing – Introduction of Sierra

f00001063_lowresPublic Libraries in Ireland are changing. These exciting changes will bring a bigger and better service. Library membership in all public libraries is now free to all.

This July, Waterford City & County Libraries, with 12 other participating library services around the country, are introducing a new computer system and creating a joint library catalogue. These changes will help us provide a better service to our library users.

  • It will be easier to search and request items, and get recommendations, using the new shared library catalogue.
  • There will be a much wider range of books and other items to choose from.
  • Library members can borrow 12 items (including DVDs) for 3 weeks from any branch of the participating public libraries.
  • There is no charge to reserve up to 12 items at any time.
  • Books and DVDs can be returned to any of the 176 branches of the participating library services.
  • Reminders will be sent by email, to let you know that your books and DVDs are due back, that items you requested are ready for collection, and to let you know about library events.
  • You can reserve and renew books and other items 24/7 using our online service.

Parking promotion for the Summer in Waterford City

FREE-PARKINGIf you’re going out in Waterford, and planning on having a drink, you can now park in Bolton St or Millar’s Marsh car park after 6:30pm and get a free parking ticket from our pay and display machines to provide free parking until 12.00 noon the following day.

No need to worry about getting a parking ticket, or driving early in the morning while over the limit.

Park after 6.30 any evening in either Millar’s Marsh or Bolton St car parks and just push the green button on the pay and display machine and it will give you a free parking ticket to display, collect your car anytime up to 12.00pm (midday).

35, The Mall, opens as Economic Development hub

2016-06-29_1109Waterford City and County Council have celebrated the official opening of 35 The Mall, the new home of their Economic Development Department and the Local Enterprise Office.

Following two years of renovations, Mayor of Waterford City and County Council, Cllr. John Cummins, officially opened the premises on Tuesday 28th June 2016.  The building, which is an early 20th Century purpose-built commercial Edwardian structure of architectural and artistic interest, is built on the site of an earlier Georgian town house.

Strategically located within the city centre at the confluence of two main thoroughfares – the junction of The Mall and Lombard Street – and linked with No.’s 3 & 4 Lombard Street, the building stands as a substantial prominent structure with significant internal space.

Mayor hosts Reception for the crew of Brian Ború and Sail Training Ireland

2016-06-14_1628Well Buoy!

Mayor of Waterford City and County Council hosts a Mayoral Reception for the crew of the Brian Ború and Sail Training Ireland.

Mayor of Waterford City and County Council, Cllr. John Cummins, hosted a Mayoral Reception for the crew of the sailing ship Brian Ború, after its five day voyage with Sail Training Ireland and a group of 6 trainees in City Hall, Waterford on Friday 10th of June 2016.

Those attending the reception included Chairperson of Sail Training Ireland Seamus McLoughlin, The Captain of the Brian Ború Tony McLoughlin, crew members of the Brian Ború and the 6 trainees, Billy Duggan of Waterford City and County Council’s Economic Development Department and several Councillors.

The Brian Ború which has its homeport in Waterford at the City Marina provides a lower level stepping stone for young people with no experience to get a first taste of Sail Training. It is currently the only fully licensed wooden, traditionally rigged sail training vessel in the island of Ireland, quite a coup for Waterford.

On the 29th of May the Brian Ború set sail with 10 trainees (18 to 25 year olds) and finally led a fleet of Tall Ships into Dublin Port on Friday 3rd June to celebrate the commencement of a spectacular Riverfest 2016. The return voyage with another group of trainees (16 to 18 year olds) began with their embarkment on the Brian Ború in Dublin on the 5th June. While sailing South to Waterford they had a spectacular trip with warm welcomes in Arklow, Rosslare, Kilmore Quay, and Dunmore East. The young trainees have steadily increased in self confidence, social interaction, ability to take responsibility, and various maritime skills on a daily basis. The highlights included having the opportunity to heave- to off the Saltee Islands last Wednesday afternoon in glorious sunshine to swim, dive, row the ship’s boat and generally enjoy the wildlife and scenery including tracking a group of Risso dolphins and photographing puffins and guillemots.

Speaking at the reception Mayor of Waterford City and County, Cllr. John Cummins said ‘the beautiful Brian Ború Sailing Ship is such an addition to the Waterford Quays. I have sailed on the Brian Ború and the experience is something unique’

Waterford City and County Council along with Waterford Area Partnership and Waterford Port Authority are party to a bursary arrangement with the Brian Ború and Sail Training Ireland. Waterford City and County Council contributed €5000 to this bursary.

Sail Training Ireland is the National Sail Training Organisation and a Charity with youth development at its core. It creates Sail Training Voyages for Young People from all Backgrounds and Abilities.

Sail training requires participants to confront many demanding challenges, both physical and emotional. It is an activity that inspires self-confidence and the acceptance of personal responsibility. It promotes an acceptance of others whatever their social or cultural backgrounds, and develops a willingness to take controlled risks. For most who undertake sail training on Tall Ships it is a positive life-changing experience.

Waterford is looking forward to the visit next week of the Morgenster a 50m Tall Ship which will have trainees on board from the north and south of Ireland. The Morgenster will be berthed at the Port of Waterford pontoon on Waterford’s Quay and open for pre-booked tours from 11am-2.30pm on Saturday, June 18. A limited number of tour tickets will go on sale at a cost of just €10 for a group of four with all proceeds going to Waterford River Rescue. Tickets can be purchased through the Theatre Royal box office– call 051 874 402 or visit www.theatreroyal.ie.  Waterford was host to the International Tall Ships Race in 2005 and 2011.

ENDS

For more information contact:

Claire Hartley
Waterford City and County Council
chartley@waterfordcouncil.ie
0761 10 2549

Temporary Road Closure – An Grianán, Dungarvan

2016-06-14_1259Notice is hereby given pursuant to Section 11 Subsection (1) (b) (iii) Roads Act 1993 that Waterford City and County Council propose to declare the above mentioned road to be Public Road.

A map indicating the road to be taken in charge is available for inspection during normal office opening hours by interested members of the Public for a period of one month up to and including 13th July 2016 at the following locations:-

  • Roads Dept, Waterford City and County Council, Civic Offices, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford.
  • Roads Dept, Waterford City & County Council, Menapia Building, The Mall, Waterford.

Submissions or observations with respect to the proposal to declare the road to be a Public Road may be made in writing to the Director of Services, Roads, HR and Emergency Services, Waterford City and County Council, City Hall, The Mall, Waterford not later than 4pm on 27th July 2016.

Paul Daly
15th June 2016
A/Director of Service
Roads, HR & Emergency Services

Public Participation: Identification of Bathing Waters

2016-06-14_0922Local authorities must identify official bathing areas in their area every year so that they can be monitored for safety, water quality and their level of use. To help with this process, Waterford City & County Council are asking people who swim at beaches, lakes and rivers to tell them if they think they should maintain existing designated bathing waters designations or give a new official bathing area designation to areas that are commonly used for swimming, but not identified at the moment.

Under European and Irish law, Irish local authorities must identify bathing waters each year so that these areas can be monitored to ensure they meet stringent microbiological water quality standards. In some cases, the official bathing areas are also the areas where local authorities focus their resources providing lifeguards during the summer season. These laws also require that the local authority prepares detailed descriptions or profiles for each of the identified bathing water sites that describe not just the bathing area but also areas in the surface waters catchment area that could be a source of pollution. The profiles include an assessment the risk of pollution and what action would
be taken if pollution occurs.

If you are a regular swimmer and want to help your Council decide which bathing areas should be classified as such, it might be helpful to consider the following:
· How your swimming area has been used up to now;
· How many people use the site;
· What facilities exist at the site and how accessible it is;
· Any safety issues.

If you wish to propose your favourite beach/river etc as a new bathing water site or comment on an existing site please drop us a line at http://www.waterfordcouncil.ie/administration/complaintform.htm

Closing date for submissions Waterford City & County Council is 28th July 2016. For further information please email bathing@waterfordcouncil.ie

National Bike Week 2016

2016-06-13_0854National Bike Week runs from Saturday 11th to Sunday 19th June. Enjoy seven days on two wheels celebrating and promoting all that is great about cycling. There are a wide range of events taking place throughout Waterford.

Bike Week not only promotes the leisure and fun aspects of cycling as a family, with friends, to sightsee…it also highlights why it is important to choose cycling as a means to commute to work, to do the crèche or school run or to run errands. Cycling is environmentally friendly, as it cuts congestion and has zero emissions, and it is also much lower in cost than travelling by public transport or a car.

See Waterford Sports Partnership for more details …

Response to Munster Express SDZ North Quays questions

2016-06-08_08541: How many submissions and observations did the Council receive during the pre-draft consultation phase between January 29th and March 31st? (Will we, the public, get a look at these submissions?)

The Council received 16 submissions as part of the pre draft consultation phase. It is not intended that these submissions will be made public at this point however as part of the next phase, which is a statutory process, any submissions received will form part of a Chief Executives report and will be available to the public.

2: The artist’s impressions for the site, as publicly displayed at the launch of the SDZ…these are drawings and not the only consideration for the site, I presume that’s a correct assertion?

Correct, WCCC are working from a blank canvas in the preparation of the Planning scheme and the artist impressions simply highlight previous visions for the site.

3: Would the Council consider an academic presence on the site, i.e. WIT, which would, I suggest, represent a long-term, sustainable use for a section of the redeveloped site?

The SDZ designation allows, amongst others, for educational uses and such uses will be examined in the context of the planning scheme.

4: Will the Council be exploring the prospect of art installations on the site as has occurred on other redeveloped dockside developments in recent decades, such as in Nantes, France?

It is likely that the site will accommodate some features of an artistic/cultural nature.

5: In terms of flood defences for the site, would Kilkenny County Council be called upon to provide additional defences upriver of the site, given the flooding that has occurred in recent years at Plunkett Station and the historic flooding in that area, i.e. defending the North Quay alone will not completely defend the SDZ site from flooding?

Consultants are being appointed to consider the engineering and environmental issues which will include ‘Flood Risk Assessment’ being carried out to inform the planning scheme. The recommendations of same will be considered by WCCC and appropriate action taken to ensure adequate flood defences.

6: Is the Council cognisant of the existing vacant office space in Waterford city centre – 50 per cent at Railway Square and 30 per cent at Maritana Gate – when it comes to finalising what proportion of office space will be devoted within the floor space of the redeveloped project?

The portion of office space to be included in the SDZ has yet to be decided; however WCCC is aware of the issues in relation to office accommodation in Waterford. It is envisaged that the SDZ will allow for the creation of a new urban quarter that will attract large scale investment, creating  an “office culture” and generate demand for further office development in the City.

7: The non-statutory nature of this phase means, I presume, that the Council can adopt, particularly at this moment in time, a pretty flexible approach to how the project shall ultimately unfold? Or am I wrong in making such an assertion?

The preparation of a planning scheme and adoption of same is a statutory process.The draft scheme therefore will have to be robust enough and strategic in its aims as to satisfy scrutiny of An Bord Pleanala.  It is imperative that the scheme reflects the SDZ designation as to its importance as an economic driver of national/regional significance.

8: “Critically, the draft planning scheme shall have to be prepared by the City & County Council, meaning the prospect remains that a Government of a different composition, and with different policy objectives, may make final approval on the SDZ submission.” (The Munster Express, December 1st 2015). Has the Council, as of yet, engaged with the new Government in relation to the North Quay project?

While the Government designated the SDZ, the preparation of the North Quays planning scheme will be a reserved function of the members of WCCC and not a function of central government. The planning scheme can be appealed to An Bord Pleanala.

9: When will we see the draft planning scheme for the site?

It is anticipated that the draft planning scheme will be on public display in the first quarter of 2017.

10: Who is spearheading the planning scheme within the Council and how many staff are engaged in its preparation?

A Steering Group consisting of CE WCCC and CEO of Waterford Port with other senior management staff members has been established to oversee the project.  A multidisciplinary team has also been established within the Council to prepare the Planning Scheme, which includes Planners, Architects and Engineers. The Planning Scheme will be informed by the Engineering/Environmental Consultants Report (See No5 above).

The RHA Waterford Collection

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Exhibition continues until September 10th 2016

Greyfriars Municipal Art Gallery – Admission Free

Greyfriars Municipal Art Gallery is pleased to present The RHA Waterford Selection, an exhibition comprising of 39 works from the Waterford Municipal Art Collection.  The pieces on display were carefully selected by Patrick Murphy, Director of the Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin, for exhibition in the RHA in 2015.

“Waterford City consistently collected contemporary art from the late 1930’s through to the early seventies. Funds to acquire art were made available by the City Council, which from time to time were combined with the Arts Council Joint Purchase Scheme. Donations to the collection were made on a regular basis by the Haverty Trust and from local collections. Waterford’s Municipal Collection is a strong representative collection of Irish art of the 20th Century. “ – Patrick Murphy, Director, Royal Hibernian Academy

The exhibition takes a chronological look at the collection’s RHA members, with works ranging from 1880 to 2008 in mediums of oil, gouache, watercolour, pastel, print and mixed media.

Artist include Paul Henry, William Conor, Martin Gale, Evie Hone, Dermod O’ Brien, Mainie Jellet, Harry Kernoff, Grace Henry, Jack B. Yeats and many more…

Address: Greyfriars Municipal Gallery, Greyfriars Street, Waterford.
Open: Tuesday – Saturday: 10am – 5pm
T: 076110 2983. Email: greyfriars@waterfordcouncil.ie

ADMISSION TO GREYFRIARS MUNICIPAL GALLERY IS ALWAYS FREE