‘No green space left’ for sport or recreation in south Dundalk, councillor warns
A Louth councillor has warned that a rapidly expanding population south of Dundalk could leave communities with “no green space for sport or recreation” in the coming years.
The concern was raised at the April meeting of Louth County Council, where councillors were briefed on the local authority’s new Outdoor Recreation Plan, Sports Plan and Play Policy.
Cllr Shane McGuinness said the new sports policy itself highlighted the importance of open green space within urban areas, but argued that this was already lacking in parts of the county.
He told the meeting that “densely populated” areas south of Dundalk “had no green space”, adding that the council’s ability to provide such amenities was limited “other than to purchase it”.
“We are going to have to be brave, we have got to have the ability to see down the line as these policies run up to 2031,” he said. “I can only imagine the amount of housing units that will be built in Blackrock and Haggardstown by then.”
According to Cllr McGuinness, there is currently “no land to expand, to provide sports facilities or green areas” in those communities. He urged the local authority to prioritise the provision of green areas and open space during consultations on the new County Development Plan.
Cllr Ciaran Fisher called on the council to actively seek the views of children and young people when developing play and outdoor recreation policies.
Welcoming the new policies, Cllr Eric Donovan said sport had played a positive role throughout his own life and could do the same for others.
“I do believe that children will follow in the footsteps of adults, and when you see adults engaging in sport it is of huge benefit,” he said.
Cllr Donovan added that sport was valuable not only for elite athletes but for people from all walks of life. “Recreational sport can be very good for keeping fit, and for mental health,” he said.
Cllr Maeve Yore described Louth’s sports plan as “ambitious” and praised its focus on “safe, well maintained, connected facilities”. She welcomed the fact that a number of projects were “shovel ready” and stressed the importance of ensuring that new and existing facilities are accessible to all sections of the community.
However, Cllr Michelle Hall cautioned that expectations would need to be managed, warning that “some groups will be disappointed” as applying for funding did not guarantee that a project would be delivered.
She said a dedicated play “strategy” was needed in order to translate many of the proposals into reality on the ground.
Cllr Marianne Butler said the benefits of “being outdoors and being in nature” were clearly recognised across the plans. She also sought an update on proposals to install basketball hoops in public parks, an issue previously raised by Cllr Yore.
Cllr Declan Power said that Louth was “lucky to have three fantastic Blue Flag beaches”. He called for water testing to be carried out throughout the year rather than only during the summer months “so we can protect our sea swimmers”.
Responding to the range of issues raised by councillors, Joanna Kelly, Director of Service at Louth County Council, said a “phenomenal” level of engagement and consultation had taken place in developing the Outdoor Recreation Plan, Sports Plan and Play Policy.
She did not accept that any particular age group had been under-represented during the consultation process. Ms Kelly said Louth already had a significant number of amenities, including greenways and parks, and that the aim of the policies was to enhance and further develop public facilities across the county.
She also told councillors that she would look again at the capital funding allocated for basketball amenities.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Schemeouth councillor has warned that a rapidly expanding population south of Dundalk “will leave no green space for sport or recreation.”