Carrigaline's lack of amenity spaces is ‘criminal’

Site identified for a new town park and pitches is in private ownership, councillors told

Progress on acquiring land for amenities in Carrigaline appears to be stalling, say councillors. Picture: Denis Minihane

Councillors have hit out at the lack of recreation and amenity spaces in Cork's largest town as "absolutely criminal".

The criticism of the paucity of facilities in Carrigaline came to light after it emerged that a site identified in the Cork County Development Plan for a new town park and pitches is actually in private ownership and cannot be acquired. 

The issue became apparent after Fianna Fáil councillor Seamus McGrath asked officials attending a local municipal district council meeting what is happening with ‘Objective CL-GR-02’ in the County Development Plan “which identifies an ambitious plan for the development of a new town park on the western side of Carrigaline, including the provision of playing pitches”. 

'Aspirational'

He was informed by council officials that the County Development Plan is “aspirational” and they admitted the land identified for a playground and sports grounds is not owned by the local authority.

Carrigaline’s population is rapidly approaching 19,000 and many more houses are planned for the town, but the development of facilities is not keeping pace with this growth.

Officials said the land is currently “privately owned” and “in active use”. 

“Should circumstances regarding the land ownership change the council may be in a position to review delivery of this objective,” they said.

Mr McGrath said he was disappointed that progress on acquiring land for further amenities in the town appears to be stalling.

“We need to see where we can go with this [plan]," he said. "The need is huge for a new park, playground plus sports pitches. It becomes very frustrating when it isn’t progressing.

Fine Gael councillor Jack White said: “For a town of its size, for it to not have a central park and adequate amenity space is absolutely criminal.

“The town has been badly planned for decades. This has to be taken up as a matter of urgency. 

"You can’t have a town of this size so starved of amenity space.”

Municipal district council officials agreed to councillors’ requests to relay their concerns to more senior officials in County Hall to see what options there might be to speed up such development.