Planning for playground overturned
AN BORD PLEANALA APPEAL
AN BORD Pleanála has overturned planning granted by Kerry County Council for a children’s playground at a site close to Dingle pier.
A local lobby group named Am Spaoi have so far raised in excess of €30,000 for the project which was expected to cost in the region of €150,000.
Kerry County Council granted permission for the playground but the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, which controls the port area, appealed the decision to An Bórd Pleanála which upheld their objections and overturned the council’s decision.
The proposed site for the playground is on the pier side of the current entrance to the car-park which is adjacent to Dingle Pier. Plans for the playground included backfilling and raising the space occupied by 11 car parking spaces (across from the Fungie offices) which would then be fenced off with the traffic entrance to the car-park realigned closer to the main road.
Tor Cotton of the local Am Spraoi committee said the group remains “committed to the project and we will keep going.”
“An Bórd Pleanála have upheld the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s objections as they felt there were line of sight issues and a safety concern in terms placing a playground close to the pier side of the carpark. But the space would be fenced off and the redevelopment of the space near the Fungie offices is an area which currently attracts a lot of families and children,” she said.
“LEADER funding seems to be in a state of flux at the moment, we were expecting that up to 75 per cent of funding would be provided, leaving it up to us to raise the rest, which would have been about €37,500. But the true amount which we need to raise locally is unclear at the moment until we know exactly what will be made available to us. In excess of €30,000 has been raised so far and we are grateful to everyone who has contributed so far.”
Dingle’s already has playground facilities in the town park but Ms Cotton said “Dingle needs a safe, accessible and good quality playground so as a committee we will reconvene and see where we go from here.”