A number of new projects worth hundreds of thousands of euro are in the pipeline for communities in South Cork, including playground upgrades, public realm improvements and the creation of a fitness trail.
Crosshaven will get a boost with a significant facelift of its MUGA (Multi-Use Games Area) near Fort Camden, which will go out to tender in the next few weeks. The car park area adjacent to it is also to get an upgrade.
An outdoor gym is to be created in Passage West, while the playground there will receive significant upgrading, including the installation of new equipment. The harbourside town is also to get significant public realm upgrades, although it has been decided to wait until after the summer to put these out to tender.
Communications boards for children on the autism spectrum will be erected in all playgrounds in the Carrigaline Municipal District. This follows a successful pilot of the boards first put up in the playground in Carrigaline.
Crosshaven will get a boost with a significant facelift of its MUGA (Multi-Use Games Area) near Fort Camden. File photo: Denis Minihane
A fitness trail is to be developed in Ballinhassig and this will go out to tender shortly. A meeting of the Carrigaline Municipal District Council was informed of the plans, with the money coming from its own resources, from development funds provided by builders, and from government grants.
The municipal council was warned, however, that playground equipment prices are going through the roof and as such the council may possibly be doing fewer upgrading projects into the future unless it can acquire special funding from elsewhere.
Vincent Flourish, an official who deals with such upgrades, told councillors that equipment prices are set to rise by up to 25% this week because most of it comes from Eastern Europe.
He said this was as a result of increased transportation costs – and possibly the conflict in Ukraine – and there could be even further increases in the pipeline.
Municipal district council chairwoman, Independent councillor Marcia D’Alton, said she was delighted so many amenity projects are being set up for the area.
Crosshaven-based Fianna Fáil councillor Audrey Buckley also welcomed the news but asked officials to clean up some scrubland near the MUGA area, which they agreed to do.
Independent councillor Ben Dalton-O’Sullivan welcomed the roll-out of the autism-friendly communications boards across the municipal council’s playgrounds.
Fianna Fáil councillor Seamus McGrath said he welcomed the projects and has proposed in particular that the county council provide special capital funding every year to upgrade playgrounds around the county, many of which he said are, unfortunately, “now tired and jaded.”
Communications boards for children on the autism spectrum will be erected in all playgrounds in the Carrigaline Municipal District. Photo: Denis Scannell
Mr McGrath requested that an “enhancement plan” be considered for the area immediately east of the pond in the Carrigaline Community Park. “An extension of the running track along with the provision of benches overlooking the estuary and other improvements should be considered for there,” he said.
“It’s an underutilised part of the park, which in general is heavily used. We should improve the unofficial pathway in that area as well,” Mr McGrath said.
Fine Gael councillor Jack White agreed with him. “It’s lovely in that area at high tide. There’s some anti-social behaviour going on there because it isn’t done up,” he said.
Nicola Radley, the most senior council officer representing the area, said they will commit to considering improvements to the area and seek appropriate funding streams for it.
