COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF LUCAN / PALMERSTOWN / NORTH CLONDALKIN AREA COMMITTEE
Tuesday, March 22, 2022
MOTION NO. 2
MOTION: Councillor Derren Ó Brádaigh
That this committee agree to explore the feasability and practical requirement for locating a multi-use games wall facility to the east side of Griffeen Valley Park in meeting the recreational needs of an ever growing youth population.
REPORT:
The multi-use games wall facility was delivered as part of the first 300K Have Your Say programme in the County and was the highest scoring project that year in Lucan. On its delivery, and as predicted by the proposers, it became a really popular location for teenagers as it contains a lot of the facilities that teenagers tell us they wish to see in their spaces including:
- It is in a high profile, well overlooked location within the park,
- It is their location; where they are not asked or expected to move on from,
- It has plenty of seating,
- It has plenty of informal activities.
Due to its success it has become a teenspace by default and thus we would imagine any similar additional facility in Griffeen would also facilitate teenage use and become a 'teenspace'. Regarding the teenspace programme; to date 9 projects have been proposed and funded as set out below.
Phase 1
- Collinstown Park, (was in Clondalkin LEA when first proposed) €120,000
- Ballycragh Park (Rathfarnham / Templeogue / Firhouse / Bohernabreena Area) €110,000
- Kingswood (Tallaght area) €40,000
- Avonbeg (Tallaght area) €80,000
- Esker Park café (Lucan, Palmerstown, North Clondalkin area) €120,000
Phase 2
- St Cuthberts Park (Clondalkin area) €100,000
- Bancroft Park (Tallaght area) €100,000
- Griffeen (Lucan, Palmerstown, North Clondalkin area) €100,000
- Templeogue (Rathfarnham / Templeogue / Firhouse / Bohernabreena Area) €100,000
These projects are at various stages of delivery with 2 fully complete and successfully opened at Collinstown Park and Ballycragh Park. There is also an additional teenspace that was incorporated into the design of Tandy's Lane Park. The programme is on-going.
At present no further phases of the teenspace programme are funded and a Phase 3 proposal at this stage may be premature. However, since we are now some period into our teenspace programme, we intend to review and check our progress. We are in the process of drawing up a survey to gather opinions from teenagers who are using the facilities that have been built and to check what other facilities teenagers might like to see included in any future teen spaces and where they think would be a suitable location. This will be an online survey and will be publicised on social media and through clubs and schools. Results of the survey will be conveyed to the members. Should a Phase 3 progress we can use the results of the survey to inform the planning for that; but we will also include east of Griffeen and any other Lucan locations in the considerations if Councillors so advise; though please note we plan the facilities within teenspaces in accordance with what local teenagers tell us they want; so we normally decide the detail of facility provision based on that feedback as it allows us to respond to local need and requests (subject to funding).