Easy ways to help build strong and sustainable new communities

Uimhir Thagarta Uathúil: 
LCC-C62-151
Stádas: 
Submitted
Údar: 
Michael Hennessy Denis Tierney

Chapter 9: Sustainable Communities and Social Infrastructure

As part of the Limerick Development Plan under Volume 1 Chapter 9, the submission is for playgrounds to be mandatory in all new housing estates being built in Limerick.

In new estates, children are the ones who break down the barriers, force adults (parents) to take to one another and they are building blocks to a successful community.

In our submission, we have noticed that even within our estate that the small playground has acted as a central point for people to congregate.

This means that parents are meeting and talking with other parents in the estate, discussing issues and fostering friendships, that allow communities to develop.

We are not advcoating for large-scale playgrounds, just small areas in estates for children's play areas. In larger and disperse estates, this may mean more than one area.

Provision should be made for a diverse range of equipment suitable for young children and young teeanges, of all abilities.

Concerns may be raised about anti-social behaviour, and while this cannot be ruled out, innovative desgin can be used to mitigate this, and also by parents and young people acting responsibily.

By having these play areas, the 'novelty' of them wears off very quickly and their attractiveness as a place for those intent on anti-social behaviour to congregate lessens.

These playgrounds do not negate the need for large-scale play areas such as Mungret Playground, Castletroy, but they would help achieve trgets andpolicy set down by Limerick City and County Council.

Policy SCSI P1 - Sustainable Communities - It is a policy of the Council to seek to improve the provision of community infrastructure and recreational opportunities for the wider community. [Small scale playgrounds in all new estates - this is sustainable communities at its most basic].

Policy SCSI P2 - Location of Community Facilities - It is a policy of the Council to ensure that adequate provision is made in land use zoning, in the layout of developments and residential densities to ensure optimum accessibility to local community facilities and amenities, particularly by sustainable modes of transport and insofar as opportunities allow, that barriers to pedestrian access to such social infrastructure should be removed. [This aim would be achieved by the small scale playgrounds. Eveyone would be walking or cycling to the area. There would be no requirement for car park spaces.]

Objective SCSI O1 - Community Facilities - It is an objective of the Council to ensure new residential developments incorporate appropriate provision for community and recreational facilities, for the benefit of local residents, or are located within easy access to such facilities. [This submission meets this onjective].

Objective SCSI O2 - Accessibility for All - 

a)         Seek the provision of appropriate, inclusive and accessible, safe amenity, recreational open space and community facilities that are available for all sections of the community, both urban and rural at a convenient distance from their homes and places of work.

b)         Ensure that community facilities, recreation, play and leisure facilities are fully accessible to all users and are compliant with current legislative requirements.

[Once again this objective is met by this submission].

Policy SCSI P5 - Play - It is a policy of the Council to facilitate opportunities for play and support the implementation of the Limerick City and County Council Play Policy and its objectives. 

 

Objective SCSI O26 - Playgrounds - It is an objective of the Council to:

a)         Support play policies to address the play and recreation needs of children and young people, with specific consideration given to the needs of children and young adults with Disabilities.

b)         Support local communities in the provision of a range of play facilities in appropriate locations across Limerick, including urban and rural locations.

c)         Encourage the use of nature based play with respect to the provision of play opportunities.

While accepting there is a hierarchy of needs and the requirement to have larger-scale play areas, by making this a requirement of planning means that it is incorporated into the planning/ delivery costs of the project, which would be minimal.

Also the provision of the play area should be a requirement of Phase 1 of any development and not as an afterthough.

 

 

 

 

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