Council agree to name change for new estate.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Fingal County Council has agreed to my request to change the name of a new housing development in Mulhuddart. This follows appeals from Tyrrelstown residents and residents association who feel that having another estate 2km away with the same name will cause confusion.
The NABCo social housing development in Mulhuddart, is due to be occupied in September. In October 2008 the council’s naming committee recommended the two sections there be called “Tyrrelstown Park” and "Tyrrelstown Court".
The council agreed to convene a special meeting of the naming committee on Wednesday and voted in favour of a name change with only the two Socialist Party councillors objecting. After considering a number of other names councillors voted in favour of Avondale Park and Avondale Court for the new estate.
This is a victory for common sense and I am sure the new residents of Avondale Park will be pleased with the name. I have already had reports of people driving around Tyrrelstown looking to view the apartments in Tyrrelstown Park. This confusion will be compounded when the new park is developed in Tyrrelstown which locals intend to call Tyrrelstown Park.
I sought a suspension of standing orders to address the issue at the July council meeting. Unfortunately I received very little support from my colleagues and indeed there was outright hostility from quite a few. I was accused of being a ‘total reactionary’ and that I was only raising the issue because ‘I didn’t want council tenants having the name of Tyrrelstown’.
This is not a class issue. The NABCo estate will of course have social and affordable housing but there are social houses and council tenants in Tyrrelstown as well. My reason for seeking a change is to avoid the confusion that will arise from two estates with similar names located so far apart. Having failed at the council meeting I then asked the Planning Department to convene a special meeting of the naming committee. I am delighted with the outcome and so are the residents of Tyrrelstown.
You can view the July Council proceedings here (the item is at 2.44hrs). There was no time left to take the item at the end of the meeting.