Playground gets €155K upgrade
Playground shuts, will reopen in six to eight weeks.
Upwards of €150,000 is set to be spent upgrading facilities at Belturbet playground. The boost is regarded as potentially the start of a major redevelopment of the Erneside park area.
The long awaited works have been welcomed locally by town Independent councillor Brendan Fay, and Chair of the Belturbet Playground Committee, Nuala Enright.
In total, €115,000 is set to be allocated towards the project from the Community and Reconciliation Funds, with an additional €40,000 from the council’s own coffers.
To facilitate the works the playground in Belturbet was closed to the public on April 22, and will remain shut for between four to six weeks.
Nuala is excited about the refurbishment, and says work on the plans have been in the pipeline for some time.
In their application the committee pointed to demand in the locality, with a childcare centre and three primary schools accounting for hundreds of kids under the age of 12.
“What's most important is that this redevelopment will provide a safe, fun, inclusive, and educational environment for the children in our community to play. We're getting new equipment, replacing old with new, installing sensory play panels, accessible play apparatus. Currently we have no equipment in the playground to support children with additional needs, but once all this work is done it’s going to be wonderful place for families to bring children.”
Cllr Fay regards the playground as an important asset to the town.
“Parts of this playground had, unfortunately, fallen into disrepair. This is an opportunity to upgrade all of what’s here. We have families coming from right across Cavan to visit Belturbet. The playground is on an important walking route, it’s accessible from the river for families arriving by boat, it just now needs a little attention and that’s what it’s going to get now.”
He notes that the refurbishment of the playground could factor into a much larger redevelopment of the Morrissey Park area, where much focus has been put on Belturbet following the preparation of a Masterplan by Frank Cooney of Dublin’s Cooney Architects.
His proposals include a new enterprise and tourism hub for Belturbet, as well as the future development of the Belturbet Heritage Railway Complex.
Cllr Fay told the Celt: “Belturbet is a family town. There is so much going for it. We have a vibrant community, people eager to see positive things happen, and there is a lot of work taking place behind the scenes, here at the playground and the area around, as well as other areas. They’re exciting times.”