Plan to close antisocial alleyway in Cork deferred

Plans to close an alleyway in Cork where women have been attacked, drug-dealing is rampant and cars have been burnt out have been deferred for at least a month.

Residents at Barnavara Crescent, Mayfield, will have to await the outcome of talks between the city and county council because the serious antisocial behaviour is taking place in an area which straddles the control of both local authorities.

Residents themselves are split on the issue, as was witnessed when a large number of them attended a county council municipal meeting to listen to proposals to close the alleyway completely.

The majority want the alleyway closed, but others, notably the more elderly, say it will cause them an extra mile-round trip to the local shops and church.

Petitions from both sides have been handed to the council.

“Three women were attacked in this alleyway, one woman was grabbed by the throat and lifted off the ground,” said Cllr Ger Keohane. “Gardaí are there three or four times every weekend without fail. The fire brigade are also regular visitors because stolen cars and wheelie bins are being burnt in the alleyway. It’s also being used for drugs and drinking.”

Cllr Kieran McCarthy opposed the closure as it would inconvenience elderly residents.

He said it was “a law and order issue” and closing it might only shift the antisocial behaviour a small bit further away.

Cllr Cathal Rasmussen proposed that a committee should be formed with residents from both camps to hammer out a solution.

Cllr Sinéad Sheppard maintained that extra public lighting should be put in there, but was told the ESB said this would be costly and the lights would probably end up being smashed by the very people they were supposed to deter.

“People are living with this antisocial behaviour morning, noon and night and enough is enough,” said Cllr Keohane.

“Property and cars are also being damaged. We have to protect these people.”

Council engineers said they had looked at number of different options to curb antisocial behaviour, the best being CCTV. However, they said that they did not have the funding to install it.

Councillors then mulled over closing it for a trial period, but this was knocked on the head when they were told the city council was looking at trying to solve antisocial behaviour close by and may decide to close a footbridge which links the alleyway to the North Ring Road.

In light of this it was agreed to contact city council officials to see what their plans were, because if the bridge was closed it could have the knock-on effect of reducing antisocial behaviour at Barnavara Crescent.

The estate was built in the mid-1970s and shortly after residents came together to create a pathway and the footbridge which provided them with a shortcut to the greater Mayfield area.

The gardaí have written to the council saying the antisocial behaviour is being caused by a “large group of youths” who congregate at the laneway and any assistance the council could provide to stop this would be greatly appreciated.