This article is from page 30 of the 2007-05-01 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 30 JPG
WORK on the new playground in Sixmilebridge is due to get under- way within two months and a major fundraising drive will be launched locally next week.
Planning permission for the project was secured from Clare County Council five months ago. However the council did not grant permission for the area to be fenced off. The committee behind the project felt DOE NOON ECMAY’c-RN Rol O1UUDKCLO MEDI MEBOCCMN DOI) te ests of security, and appealed this condition to An Bord Pleanala.
This appeal was successful last week and now means that the eroup’s full plans will get the go-
ahead.
Funding, to the tune of €110,000, has been granted by Clare County Council and various Government agencies, while locals have also raised money for the project.
Now that the start of the work is in sight, a major fundraising drive is to get underway in the local area. A public meeting will take place at Teach Cuirte on Thursday, May 10, where the fundraising plan will be made public.
“Donations are more than welcome. We are looking to raise €14,000 to complete the construction and we will have to raise €3,000 to €4,000 every year to fund the insurance. Local businesses have been excel-
lent and we will now start a big ap- peal,’ said chairperson of the com- mittee Gwen Bowen.
“We will be moving forward from then. We would be hoping to start building within eight weeks,’ she added.
The boundary will consist of a two-metre high green-coated steel fence, at the site, which 1s located at Cappagh Lodge. To offset the visual impact of the proposed boundary treatment, the committee has been asked to submit a revised landscaping plan, indicating trees and shrubs, which are to be planted along the perimeter of the site.
In its ruling, An Bord Pleanala stated that the boundary was neces-
sary “in the interest of ensuring the facility 1s secure out-of-hours and does not present a threat in terms of damage or injuries to unsupervised users.”
“The playground will be located in the middle of a green space and will be surrounded by a cycle track. We have been on the road for a while. The hiccup was the planning condition, which we had to appeal. We have been ready to go since last Summer,’ said Ms Bowen.
When completed, the facility will be run by the local community and will be a huge asset for the people of Sixmilebridge, where the popu- lation has grown hugely in recent years.