Public needs say on plan for Ballywaltrim
COUNCILLORS CALL FOR INPUT OF COMMUNITY INTO PROPOSALS
TWO Bray councillors have called on Bray Municipal District to share the vision for Ballywaltrim Recreational Park so the views of the wider public can be taken into account for any future plans.
A proposal to put together a working group on the Ballywaltrim Recreation Park masterplan was backed by elected members in April, 2022, with a presentation on the development of a Ballywaltrim Masterplan given by a senior executive technician, from Wicklow County Council, at a meeting of elected members last September.
Councillors Melanie Corrigan and Aoife Flynn Kennedy, who have worked extensively on local community issues, including the Balllywaltrim Recreational Park – or playing pitches as they are known locally – said the public now needs to have an opportunity to consider any proposals for the area.
Both Councillors said they have worked to secure funding to carry out consultation with local user groups, and to have concept drawings developed, but believe that it now needs to go out to the wider community to get their views.
This would be a non-statutory consultation, they explained, and they believe it is necessary due to the scale of the plans and the area involved.
Each element would then need to go through a statutory process, known as a Part 8, where plans are displayed and formal submissions are made, ending with a vote by elected officials.
To get to this stage, Cllrs Corrigan and Flynn Kennedy have called on Bray Municipal District to display the current vision for the area and seek the views of the wider public.
“Melanie and I believe that the community needs to have an opportunity to see the plans and have their say,” Cllr Flynn Kennedy said. “We are also very aware of the impact that the current condition of pitches and lack of facilities is having on clubs like Ardmore Rovers, there is a real urgency here. Grass root Clubs like Ardmore, St Peter’s Football Club and Wolfetone Football Club need our support and that of the local authority.”
Cllr Corrigan added: “The facilities at Ballywaltrim are long overdue an upgrade and the community need to have the opportunity to be involved and have their say. Having consensus from all the user groups is equally important.
“I’ve been working with the Bog Meadow User Group in Enniskerry to get this done, and Ballywaltrim deserves the same opportunities. Both Aoife and I will work hard to make sure they get them.”
Both councillors said they acknowledge the efforts of staff within Bray Municipal District, who have worked on plans and thanked them for getting the project to this stage, however, they insisted that significant movement is now needed to turn these proposals into a reality for the community, the volunteers and the users.