Ballygawley park lighting approved

APPROVAL has been granted to Ballygawley Community Park Ltd to provide public lighting along a walking and running track at the community park.

The lighting will consist of 18 lighting columns around the track and car park.

Apart from track, the park has a soccer pitch, astroturf area and playground.

The council planner Stephen Regan said that community facilities are “relatively limited within the village. “There is a sportground to the north of the village but otherwise Ballygawley lacks many of the basic facilities found in most villages of similar size. Improvements in the provision of community facilities should therefore be encouraged.” He noted there were three houses on the opposite side of the road to the park. However, he felt the impact of the floodlighting on them would be “minimal”. A condition of the permission is the lights are turned off by 10.30pm.

In a cover letter with the application, Ballygawley Community Park committee secretary Thomas Walsh states that it is a registered not for profit organisation concerned with the development of facilities in Ballygawley village at a four acre site in the heart of the village.

He says that since 2008 the area has been fenced and a sports field was developed in 2019.

Added to that has been a car park, community garden and a walking/running track around the playing field. He also outlines how in future phases there are plans for a community building with changing rooms, meeting rooms and storage facilities, an all-weather playing area and a playground.

The new walkway lights are to be smart efficient LED lights, which will allow the lights to be toned down via mobile phone and will also have built-in sensors so they will only stay on when the walkway is in use.