Reply - Q22 Facilities for young people

COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, May 10, 2021

QUESTION NO. 22

QUESTION: Councillor C. O'Connor

To ask the Chief Executive to confirm his plans to provide further facilities for young people across the County and will he update members in this regard.

REPLY:

South Dublin County Council are delivering the amenities and facilities in our parks and open spaces in accordance with the following objectives in the SDCC Corporate Plan:

Support a Green Infrastructure Network across the county to provide a shared space for amenity, recreation, biodiversity protection, flood management and adaptation to climate change
Develop a green infrastructure strategy for the county.
Promote access to nature and green spaces, play, and active recreation opportunities.
Develop a parks and open space strategy for the county.
Manage our parks and open spaces to protect ecological resources, and provide a sustainable balance of active and passive recreation.

South Dublin County Council manage parks and open spaces to provide access to public open space and amenities for all our park visitors. Access to active recreation and the outdoors and the ability for people to be able to access nature has proven to reduce stress hormones and assist with peoples’ emotional, physical and mental well-being. Access to parks and open spaces has proven to be crucial to people unable to travel far from home in recent months especially during COVID restrictions. Some of the projects currently underway to support this continuing access and the development of further amenities and facilities are outlined below:

A Green Infrastructure Strategy is underway and looks at creating links and corridors for both biodiversity and amenity via green routes and greenways; this is of assistance to younger people who tend to use more active forms of travel as they are not drivers of cars etc. Off-road routes can facilitate easier and safer routes to school etc. and South Dublin’s proposed Cycle Network will also assist in this regard.

A parks and open space strategy is also underway for the county which will examine the existing and future provision of council-owned parks and open spaces and the recreational facilities therein. It will also examine the balance between active and passive forms of recreation and the importance of providing space for biodiversity. As part of the development of this strategy a parks and open space survey will issue on SDCC’s public consultation portal to canvass the opinion of the public on our parks and open spaces and the provision of new facilities.

Deliver a sports pitch strategy for the county and implement recommendations.

The Sports Pitch Strategy has been completed and is being implemented providing new pitches (including the delivery of the Astro Pitch programme) and also providing for the upgrade, maintenance and management of existing pitches. This will facilitate increased match play and access to pitches by a greater number of clubs / groups. Pitches underway currently include pitches at Dodder Valley Mt Carmel and Tymon Park. Lucan Athletics Track is also entering phase 2 (infield works) and the athletics track at Mt Carmel is at establishment stage.

The pavilion programme is also underway with the Pavilion at Old Bawn completed and we are awaiting Departmental approval to commence the pavilion at Griffeen Valley Park.

Develop additional recreational and sporting facilities within parks and open spaces.

Several projects are underway in line with the above mentioned sports pitch strategy and other programmes. The teenspace programme is underway in accordance with previous reports to the Council, with projects at various stages of planning, design and pre-construction at the following locations: Ballycragh, Avonbeg, Collinstown, Kingswood, Esker. Consultation is underway or will start shortly in relation to the next round of projects: (Cuthberts, Esker ph. 2, Bancroft, Templeogue area).

South Dublin County Council also recently submitted an application to the Department of Transport Tourism and Sport to access sports capital grant funding to provide new, or upgrade existing, sports facilities in our parks and open spaces.

There is a Part 8 on display currently for an Intergenerational Facility at Tymon Park which will provide a community space for people of all ages within Tymon Park.

Deliver green infrastructure including the provision of new parks

LIHAF grant-funded projects are underway currently delivering 2 parks in the Adamstown Strategic Development Zone. Subject to successful recommencement post-Covid lockdown; Tandy’s Lane Park with grass pitches, playgrounds, teen area and exercise equipment will open later in 2021 and Airlie Park remains under construction.

Kiltipper Park was recently completed in terms of Phase 1 (footpath, access points and car park) and Phase 2 is in preparation for tendering and construction. The masterplan for the redevelopment of Killinarden Park will also issue shortly with new facilities proposed therein. St Cuthberts Park design plan has commenced, with a tender for consultants to issue shortly; and the re-design of the small park at Carrigmore is also at the preliminary design stage.