Boost for playground campaign

PARENTS in Adare have won a major victory in their three-year battle with Limerick County Council to get a children’s playground for the heritage village.

Councillors for the Bruff electoral area, which includes Adare, yesterday unanimously decided to back a notice of motion calling on the council to give the playground a site in the town park.

Council officials have resisted calls to allow a play area in the park, even though consultants called in by the council found it to be an ideal site.

The council also claimed that allowing a play area in the park would contravene the lease agreement they have on the park with the Dunraven Estate.

But this argument was also shot down when Dunraven Estate residents backed the playground proposal for the park.

The A.Corn Project Team have been campaigning for a playground for the past three years.

Cllr Niall Collins, FF, has been to the fore in supporting the playground plan and tabled a notice of motion for the Bruff Electoral Area meeting yesterday which got unanimous support.

“I was delighted to receive the full support of my council colleagues in this very important issue. The A.Corn group have a very reasonable case in asking to be allowed to apply for planning permission on publicly owned property,” he said.

“Arising from yesterday’s meeting, we must now allow the planning process to take its course in the normal way. I recognised and fully supported the huge strength and depth of feeling in Adare seeking the establishment of this playground in this location, which was deemed the most preferred site by an independently appointed consultant reporting to Limerick County Council.

“I would like to thank my council colleagues for fully supporting this motion and I now look forward to the A.Corn group being afforded their rightful opportunity to apply for planning permission.”

He said the provision of playground facilities throughout Co Limerick is one of the most important challenges facing elected representatives.

“We must continue to ensure where at all possible that groups similar to A.Corn are afforded every opportunity to promote play facilities.”

A.Corn spokeswoman Bridie Collins said the group was delighted at the decision.

“There is a huge groundswell of support in the village and surrounding areas for a playground. We now look forward to working with the council’s planning section. We plan to get a design company in. After three years, we now have got on the first rung of the ladder and this shows what the power of the people can do.”