WELCOME TO THE SBDA WEB SITE

Welcome to SBDA's new website. As the representative association for businesses in the Sandyford Business District, we are constantly striving to provide our members with better and more comprehensive services. Our new website delivers up-to-date news and information concerning all aspects of life in the Sandyford Business District. Ongoing updates, news items and regular features ensure that all progress and development within the district is promptly flagged and reported, affording members opportunity to have their say and voice an opinion.

LATEST ISSUE OF THE SANDYFORD SPOTLIGHT OUT NOW. FOR A COPY PLEASE CONTACT:
sbdassoc@eircom.net

OPEN DAY - ROSEMONT GIRLS SECONDARY SCHOOL RELOCATES FROM BLACKROCK TO SANDYFORD

An Open Day will take place on Sunday 20th November 3pm Venue: Sandyford Community Centre. Interested Parents can register online at www.rosemont.ie to attend the Open Day. To follow progress on site visit www.rosemont.ie/relocation-progress.php.

The new campus will be open in September 2012 and enrolment for September 2012 is in progress. The school trustees have always been committed to a purpose-built school to facilitate the high quality teaching and learning that is carried out in Rosemont. The new school facility is on a green field site of just over 10 acres and caters for 300 students with two classes per year. In addition to specialist classrooms for Science, Art, Music, Home Economics and Languages, there is a dedicated library, sports hall and outdoor sports facilities including an astra hockey pitch and tennis courts.

The new Sandyford campus is an exciting development in the history of the school, which will bring with it great benefits to Rosemont students and their families as well as the local community.

The LUAS stop for the new school site is Glencairn and the school will arrange bus services to serve the LUAS, DART and Blackrock, when the school moves to the new location. Information evenings on the new campus began in March 2011 in Bewleys hotel, Leopardstown and will continue throughout the academic year 2011-2012.

For more information please visit www.rosemont.ie

Contacts:
Principal Margaret Kelly – 01 – 2833855
Deputy Principal Janet Dean – 01 2833855
School Administrators Kerrylee Hempenstal or Eilis Bennet – 01 2833855
Email – info@rosemont.ie

Sandyford Open for Business

 

Sandyford Urban Framework Plan Adopted by Councillors

SBDA is pleased to welcome the recent adoption by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Councillors of the Sandyford Urban Framework Plan which has been in proposal stage for some time.

 Effectively, this means that a strategy has been agreed for the means by which the Sandyford Business District can continue to grow and develop as the major business hub in South County Dublin, in a planned and concerted way.

 Commenting on the Council decision, Jim Leyden, Chairman, SBDA said: "The Sandyford Business District is a hugely attractive location for business to operate from.  The infrastructure, development quality and accessibility of the area is unrivalled, and the ratification of this plan sets out how future progress can be made to further enhance Sandyford as a primary business destination."

 "I know that our SBDA members, who are already in business in the area, will welcome this development, as it sends out such a clear and unequivocal message that Sandyford is very definitely "Open for Business", and that we are all looking confidently to the future. We welcome the support of the Councillors on Monday night; and look forward to maintaining and growing the fruitful relationship which SBDA enjoys with all in DLRCoCo, as we continue to work together towards a bright and busy future for the Sandyford Business District."

SBDA Calls for Realistic 5% Reduction in Commercial Rates

 

"Ratepayers Cannot Continue to be the Fall Guy"

On behalf of its members, SBDA is once again urging both the executive and councillors of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council to return commercial rates to the levels expected and budgeted for after the revaluation process last year. This follows last year's shock increase of 3% above the estimated Local Authority Multiplier (ARV).

In addition to this, SBDA is lobbying for a further reduction of 2% to reflect the commercial reality within which business are currently operating.

"Everyone is squeezed very badly at the moment", commented SBDA Chairman, Jim Leyden, " All of us in business are having to review our cost base and cut our cloth accordingly. The local authority should be no different."

"We all appreciate that the council has services which they must provide, but instead of addressing the reasons for increased costs in those areas, their solution always seems to be to make the business community pay more. That is neither realistic nor sustainable in the current economic climate."

Businesses already feeling the pressure, were further burdened by an unexpected rates increase last year, which was a full 3% higher than what had been estimated after the Revaluation was completed in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown. With the level of rates bills fast catching up on rent levels, an increase of such magnitude was not viable for many businesses. "We all know that growth and jobs are the key to turning our economy around," concluded Leyden, "Increasing rates to unsustainable levels is anti-growth and anti-jobs; in the end it's also short sighted and counterproductive, as businesses will inevitably fold under the pressure, taking them out of the rates net altogether."

"The Council must see sense on this issue, and reduce rates bills to realistic and sustainable levels".