Effort to be made to get work done to reopen playground in Ballymote
A MEETING is to be held between staff of Sligo County Council and Ballymote Development Association in an effort to get work done which is necessary to allow the playground in the town park to reopen.
The issue of the closed playground was raised at a meeting of Ballymore-Tubbercurry Municipal District when Cllr Paul Taylor, pictured right, proposed a motion asking that the council “engage with the Ballymote community with a view to the development and improvement of the facilities in the Community Park including play facilities”.
In a report, acting director of services Emer Concannon said that the council had “engaged successfully with the Ballymote community in relation to the ongoing development of the park and had delivered improvements including planting, lighting, path works and seating”. She said funding was made available earlier this year for the surfacing of the section of the park walkway from the R293 to the train station and it was hoped to get the path resurfaced by early summer. She said the playground was currently closed due to maintenence requirements which was being followed up by the council’s environment section and was to be carried out by the Ballymote Development Association. Cllr Taylor said that he had been contacted about this by a lot of parents who had young children. He said that it was a “focal point” for the community who felt that the time had come for further development of the park. He said that they appreciated the work done by the council and the development association. “They know that great time and effort was put into developing the playground but it is felt that there is a need for it to be upgraded,” he said.
Cllr Taylor added: “I think the town of Ballymote is big enough for an upgrade to its facilities.”
Cllr Dara Mulvey said that the facilities in the park were “excellent” but he said they were all getting questions about why the playground was not being reopened. “There is a large young population in the town who would love to see it opened,” he said. Cllr Gerard Mullaney said the park was “a fine facility” but he said the playground had been closed for the last 18 months.
Ms Concannon said that it was a matter for the local developnment association. “There is very little to be done but it has to be done,” she said.
She told Cllr Mulvey that she understood that there was funding for what needed to be done.
Cllr Taylor suggested that council staff would meet with the development association in relation to what had to be done and this was agreed.