Chapter 9 Community & Recreation

Strategic Policy for Community and Recreation

Policy C1: It is the policy of the Council to ensure that community infrastructure and a range of open space opportunities for passive and active recreation contribute to a vibrant, prosperous settlement.  This is conducive to ethical principles of healthy communities, inclusivity and accessibility to facilities for all abilities, and sustainability to ensure that Croom is a greener, cleaner, more welcoming place to live, work and attract investment.

Policy C2: It is the policy of the Council to ensure that all developments in relation to community infrastructure, education, childcare, health facilities, open space, and recreational facilities comply with the policies, objectives and development management standards of the Limerick County Development Plan 2010 – 2016(as extended) and the objectives outlined below.

9.1       Introdu

National policy recognises the importance of community infrastructure and recreation opportunities to a vibrant community.  The collective well-being of a settlement is correlated with the quality of the environment. Open spaces can assist the Council and the community achieve the wider objectives for biodiversity, health and well-being, place-making and identity.  Green spaces can contribute to the legibility of a settlement assisting one’s sense of location, direction and orientation.  Open spaces can contribute to the intangible values of a community’s sense of pride, civic activities and engagement, and collective ownership. The following policy documents express this sentiment at the national level:

• Ready! Steady! Play! – National Play Policy, 2004;
• Quality Housing for Sustainable Communities, 2007;
• Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas, 2009;
• Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Local Area Plans, 2013 and the companion document Manual for Local Area Plans, 2013;
• Best Practice Guidelines Design Standards for New Apartments – Guidelines for Planning Authorities, 2018;
• Framework for Health and Well-being 2013 – 2025 under the Healthy Ireland programme;
• National Youth Strategy 2015-2020;
• Teenspace – National Recreation Policy for Young People 2007;
• Better Outcome Brighter Futures – the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2014-2020;

At a local level policy documents include:

• Limerick and Clare Sports and Physical Recreation Strategy, June 2013;
• County Limerick Recreation Strategy and Action Plan 2010 – 2012;
• Healthy Limerick programme launched in 2017;
• The Limerick Cultural Strategy – A Framework 2016-2030;

National planning guidance requires consideration of community facilities and open space, when preparing development plans and planning applications.  As a means to prompt these considerations Limerick City and County Council requires developers of housing estates to submit Sustainability Statement and Social Infrastructure Assessment(SSSIA), as part of their planning applications, since the adoption of the Limerick City and County Development Plans in 2010. At a policy level open space is considered an integral aspect of the Local Area Plan (LAP) process and the City and County Development Plan (CCDP) process.

In recent times the term ‘green infrastructure’ is considered more appropriate, when looking at open space provision. This concept is defined as looking at the totality of open space in an area and the opportunities to develop a connected system of the parks, green wedges, green corridors. The connectivity of open space is considered important to address wider sustainable transport/movement goals, and biodiversity principles of the movement of flora, fauna, pollinators and insects. Connected open spaces can also contribute to a more active and healthy lifestyle providing opportunities to cycle and walk/run at ease, and with safety from traffic.

9.2       Community and Recreation

There is a mix of sporting facilities in the Croom area, with both private clubs and a public park.  A total of 6.92 hectares are zoned as Open Space and Recreation in the proposed LAP.

To align with the policy for open space as stated previously the following are the objectives of the proposed Croom Plan based on the themes of; value, quantity, quality, sustainability, conservation and protection.

Provision is also made for the development of playgrounds/playlots in tandem with new residential development. The identification of possible amenity walkways and cycle routes also forms an important part of the plan.

Figure 22: Trees in Croom Public Park

Figure 23: Passive Recreation Space

Table 10: Open Space Hierarchy within Residential Estates

Figure 24: Croom playground

9.3       Education and Childcare Facilities

The area is currently served by two pre-school services, one run at the National School and the other at the Old Rectory just outside the plan area.  The area is served by a primary school and a Secondary School. Presently work has commenced on the construction of a new 850 pupil Secondary School along the Old Cork Road. There is an identified need for accommodation that meets all ages in the lifecycle within the plan area and a parcel of land to the rear of the former National School has been identified as a potential site for a nursing home/ nursing home integrated with retirement homes.