Ground works and surveys are being carried out in the part of a park adjacent to Swords Manor with a view to desiging a ‘recreation hub’, the Chief Executive of Fingal County Council said in a report.
The works are being done as part of the design phase of the Ward River Valley park development project.
It is not yet clear what will come out at the design phase but other recreational hubs in Fingal have included substantial improvements to sporting facilities including all-weather pitches, changing facilities, basketball and tennis courts, and upgraded playgrounds.
The report from the Chief Executive on the Ward River Valley Development project said:
Work continues toward achieving part 8 planning permission for a new regional park. This month has seen the completion of phase 1 vegetation clearing works at Brackenstown Walled Gardens. Topographical and service surveys have commenced north of the river around the lands at Swords Manor to enable the design of a northern recreational hub. A LiDAR survey of the entire park was completed and is currently being processed for use in the design process. Site inspections of the historical structures within the park were completed by all consultants in January and will form the basis of prioritising any works required to ensure the structure stability of the structures in the future. A contractor has been procured to execute a survey of these structures. The draft stage 1(analysis) report has been reviewed and is nearing completion. This will inform the second stage of the project, namely design, which has just commenced. Building on the valuable contributions and feedback to date, a second phase of public consultation will take place in the first half of 2023 to further develop the preliminary design proposals.
Cllr Ian Carey said:
This is a very positive development for the Brackenstown area because it shows the design team have already identified this part of Swords for an upgrade to the recreational facilities. It is not certain if a community centre will form part of the plans, we will have to see. It is positive for the local sports clubs as investments like this are always to the benefit of clubs in the area. Recreational hubs planned for Bremore, in Balbriggan, and Donabate have included massive capital sporting investments such as all-weather pitches and changing faclities. We will see the first designs in the coming months and people will have a chance to comment on it in the next phase of consultation.