New public amenity for County Roscommon will include skateboard park

A major public amenity for Ballaghaderreen incorporating a children's play area and a skateboard park has been approved by local councillors.

At a meeting of Boyle Municipal District councillors gave the go-ahead for the amenity on a 0.75 acre site at The Plots Town Park.

The Part 8 development on council owned lands will also include the provision of outdoor exercise equipment, aged friendly seating and soft landscaping to include trees, shrubs, hedging, flowers and grass.

The project received wide approval from councillors, who believed the amenity would be a great addition to existing facilities in the town.

Councillors were informed that funding for the project had been applied for under the Town and Village Renewal scheme and it was hoped that a decision on the application would be made by quarter four of this year.

The hope was expressed that the funding would be secured to move it to construction as quickly as possible.

Greg O’Donnell, Acting Director of Services and Boyle MD Manager, pointed out that the development took up about a tenth of the whole plot area, which he said had huge potential. He hoped that this project would be the catalyst for the development of the whole area.

He also hoped that the increase in activity when the park was complete would act as “passive surveillance” and lead to less anti-social behaviour in the area.