INVITATION TO CULMORE FORUM PUBLIC MEETING - THURSDAY 20 AUGUST AT 8PM VICTORIA HALL

TOPIC: Planning Application A/2006/0608/F - NEW PLANS have been submitted since our last Public Meeting on 9 July 2009 for the 'Barley Field' next to Culmore School and stretching to the river.  The Developers' architect will attend the meeting.  

The original application was withdrawn in 2007 from the Planning Office and submitted to the Planning Appeals Commission.  COME ALONG AND LEARN WHAT IS NOW BEING PLANNED

1st Prize Hamper: Patricia Glackin (Sponsor of Prize: Dermot McCauley Limousines),

2nd Prize Bouquet: Coyle Family (Sponsor of Prize: local florist),

3rd Prize Beauty Treatment Voucher: Grainne Lynn (Sponsor of Prize: LMS Signs) 

OUR CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS AND OUR THANKS TO THE SPONSORS OF THE PRIZES.

YOUR SUPPORT OF OUR VOLUNTARY EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF OUR COMMUNITY IS MUCH APPRECIATED!

L-R: Mary Casey, Grainne Lynn(Winner), Liam Sharkey of LMS Signs (Sponsor), Tina Fallon standing in for Patricia Glackin (Winner), Dermot McCauley of McCauley Limousines and Auto Electrics (Sponsor), Coyle Family (Winners)

CULMORE - Thanks for Driving Carefully

Our border village was the only village in the Derry City Council rural area without signs but this changed on 3rd April 2009! 

Bob Lindsay, Co-Founder of Culmore Residents Association (shown above) inspecting one of the village signs. Mary Casey met with Alan Keyes of the Roads Service and Tony Monaghan of Derry City Council when Council cancelled its  rural village signage project last year. Her meeting resulted in Roads Service  stepping in and providing village signs. 

OUR THANKS TO Alan Keys and his staff at ROADS SERVICE

Mary Casey (Centre) meeting with (L-R) Alan Keys of Roads Service and Tony Monaghan of Derry City Council

Some of the first cohort of Culmore volunteers were presented with their Child Protection Certificates and Access Approval Checks on Wednesday 14 January 2009 by local resident Jacqui from NW Volunteer Centre.  CONGRATULATIONS AND THANKS TO OUR FIRST VOLUNTEER GRADUATES!  We will be working over the next few weeks to set up our first youth session and to meet with the recently established Foyle West Youth Council.

L-R Culmore Volunteers Chris Schnurr, Andy Barr, Mary Casey, Chairperson Culmore Area Forum, Jacqui of NW Volunteer Centre and Volunteers Eithne McCullagh and Ros O'Hagan

Volunteers Mary Quigley, John McCormack, Patricia McCormack and Margaret Crabtree also graduated but are not in the above photo.

Latest: 5 more local adults participated in the 2nd Child Protection Training programme during March and will receive their certificates soon.......

We, in the cross border Foyle West Villages Network initiative have recently been informed that our application for funding toward a project involving youth and older/seniors in story telling and history sharing in our cross border area has been successful. We will be employing a worker to coordinate the project which involves linking young people and older/seniors, recording skills and broadcasting skills training and producing a dvd/cd.  If you would like to get involved in this project please use the 'Contact Us' page on this website. 

A BIG Thank You to the University of Ulster and the undergraduate students who have carried out surveys:

Road Safety perceptions 2008

Community Audit 2007 (update of Audit 2005)

These surveys can be read at Bulletin Board, Downloads on this website.

Formal Presentation by the University of Ulster takes place in March 2009  More news on the date soon....

Planning Application - A/2006/0672: Fish Processing Factory – LISAHALLY DOCKS. 

We submitted our letter of objection to this planning application including Questions on the developers' Environmental Impact Statement to the Planning Office in 2006. Since 2006 the Port Authorities have declined our proposal to establish a Port Community Liaision Group.  The River Foyle has a fragile ecosystem and we believe that the business and environmental case for the proposal for processing large amounts of fish is unsustainable.  2008: The developers withdrew the EIS and had the University of Trondheim revise and write up a new Statement.   FEBRUARY 2009:  DEVELOPERS FOR THE FISH PROCESSING FACTORY HAVE WITHDRAWN THEIR APPLICATION!!

After 3 years practical preparatory links and focussed strategic discussions during 2007-2008 between Culmore Forum Officers and community leaders in Muff, Quigleys Point and Redcastle on the impact of significant growth in housing and populations in each of our village areas and the mismatch with services provided we agreed to establish FOYLE WEST VILLAGES NETWORK.   The community leaders from each of the villages worked cooperatively together and secured the necessary funding from Border Action to appoint a consultant, First Western. Consultations, training programmes linked to specialist experts and the compilation of a report on our peripheral rural geographical area relating to spatial planning, social and economic development, infrastructure, services and more is now complete.  The report was launched on Sunday 14 December at 4.30pm in Quigley's Point Community Centre. 

This project was supported by Border Action through the EU Peace II Programme and part-financed by the Irish Government under the National Development Plan

Leaders in our Foyle West Villages Network worked tirelessly and set up the first week long youth programme from 30 June - 5 July 2008.  Youth from each of our villages (Culmore, Muff, Quigleys Point & Redcastle)participated and enjoyed the programme.  A copy of the programme that was offered can be accessed at Bulletin Board Downloads. 

The below photo shows the Foyle West Villages planning team working on the programme

This project was supported by Border Action through the EU Peace II Programme and part-financed by the Irish Government under the National Development Plan

Our delegation's proposal presented to City Council's Planning Commitee on 2nd April 2007 received unanimous cross party support!!  Mayor Cllr Helen Quigley congratulated our group immediately after the meeting. The proposal we put forward was for the establishment of a cross sectoral approach to community planning.  We proposed an inclusive forum/design studio comprising all of the relevant stakeholders involved in and affected by development - residents, community leaders, elected representatives, developers, architects, planners, roads service, water service and others.  The Terms of Reference for the initiative were discussed at the April Public Forum meeting Wednesday 18th.    LATEST: July 2008: This application is listed in Derry City Council Schedule under 'current appeals'.  We will be inviting Councillors to meet with us in September to discuss this application and appeal.  More News Soon on date for meeting!

Consultation on play facilities in Derry City Council Area commissioned by ILEX Regeneration Company, Derry City Council and Children's Commissioner. 

We had questionnaires distributed throughout Culmore and delivered back to ILEX within the week. THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO VOLUNTEERED IN YOUR CUL-DE-SAC OR PARK TO DISTRIBUTE AND COLLECT THE QUESTIONNAIRES.  OUR VIEWS WERE WELL AND TRULY DELIVERED!  The photo below shows completed questionnaires being returned by Mary Casey to Ilex Officer Deirdre Moran

We look forward to feedback being received soon. IMPORTANT: If you were missed out go to the 'Contact Us' page and a copy of the questionnaire will be delivered to you within 24 Hrs. 

We are inviting suggestions for University of Ulster student community research projects to be carried out during the academic year commencing October 2008. 

If you have a suggestion contact Mary Casey at 07896290957 who is establishing meetings and liaising with the University's Science Shop.

Culmore & Foyle West Newsletter No 1- June 2008

The First Foyle West Villages Network Newsletter has been published.  Copies are currently being dropped into each home and a copy is also available on this website at Bulletin Board, Downloads.

Winners

1st Prize:   Christmas Hamper - Emerald Hockley

2nd Prize:  Meal x 2 at the Magnet - Aaron Dobbins

3rd Prize:  Pool Table - Lucia Martin

4th Prize:  Grant's Ham - Philip Sheerin

Water Service officials have stated that because the flooding on the Point Road is irregular there will be no investment AND they have said that because the water is on the road it is a Roads Service problem.  We are calling for an end to the 'blame game' and for joined up thinking on flood management. We gave a presentation to the Regional Services Committee of City Council on 24th May 2007.  You can read the Minutes at http://www.derrycity.gov.uk/Agenda/downloads/monthly/Sp.%20Reg.%2024%20May.doc

At our AGM on Wednesday 13 June we presented a Vision and an Action Plan for the village for the next 3 years.   This along with the Chairman's and Treasurer's Reports are now available to read on 'Downloads' on this website

Developers let home owners down when they didn't erect street signs for Templeard, Ardanlee, Spruce Meadows, Elmvale and Culmore Square.  This caused a lot of inconvenience for residents and visitors for over some 8 years.  Thumbs up to Jim Gallagher at Derry City Council who got the signs erected when our Forum got onto the job responding to residents calls during May 2007

The Forum succeeded in securing University of Ulster Science Shop assistance with community research projects.   http://www.ulster.ac.uk/scienceshop/projectdirectory/index-htm.phtml?id=1

Students undertaking the Public Transport Study Project met with villagers at our monthly public meeting on Wednesday 21 February to discuss the questionnaire.  They then went around the village and interviewed residents.  The study is now complete and a copy will be available to read at the 'Downloads' section of this website SOON....

Culmore Youth Forum has hit out at being labelled as morons and nasties.  The Youth Forum calls on youth to stop attacks on all individuals and property. Youth are demanding facilities in the village. For details on population under 18 in Culmore see

http://www.wacy-pc.org/indicators_of_needs/?council=2&ward=30&x=8&y=7

Villagers have received ESTIMATED bills from the Water Service based on house values from several years ago (around 2002/2003).  The real bill will be closer to 4/5 times higher in 2 years time.  Cost of new water charges are of concern.  The NI Anti-Poverty Network  and the Trade Unions are against these charges.

One of our villagers from Spruce Meadows has written something on this issue.  Go to Bulletin Board, then Downloads on this website to read 'Communities against Water Tax'

Our Forum Notice Board for community notices has been mounted on the wall between the shop and the chemist. A record of our monthly Forum discussions will be displayed for our village area community to read.  A copy is also available on this website at 'Bulletin Board' then 'Downloards'.

WE THANK QUAYSIDE DENTAL PRACTICE AND CROSSQUAYS ENGINEERING FOR THEIR SPONSORSHIP OF OUR NOTICEBOARD

A report on Culmore Forum's Meeting with Planning Officers was given to the October Meeting of the Forum, held on 11th, and is available on the Bulletin Board 'Downloads'

Ambulances, Police at another collision on Culmore's Bad Bend this morning. We know from Roads Service own admission that a certain number of accidents and collisions are needed before a road location is officially recognised by them as an accident remedial or fatal accident remedial spot and resources put in place to REACT to accidents.  HOW MANY HAVE WE NOTCHED UP NOW?  Culmore Area Forum has been meeting with Planning Officials and DEMANDING PREVENTIVE MEASURES.   We have in excess of 16,000 cars a day going through the bad bend.   WHY ARE WE GETTING NO ADEQUATE RESPONSE?   KEEP SUPPORTING CULMORE FORUM'S EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY!