Objections may scupper Cratloe Woods playground

FUNDING totalling €66,000 for an approved playground in Cratloe Woods will be lost if residents lodge a planning appeal, a local committee has warned.
Clare County Council recently granted planning permission for a new playground at the entrance to Cratloe Woods on Gallows Hill.
The planning authority gave the playground the green light despite a strong objection signed by 86 residents, who claimed this site is totally unsuitable, as it attracts a large amount of destruction to cars and ongoing theft of property.
“Many people don’t feel safe in the forest park not to mind the concern for the safety of children of the parish and beyond. The site is proposed to be alongside a busy secondary road with a large volume of fast moving traffic.
“We feel that the wood will provide the perfect refuge for perverts with the worst of intentions for young children, as it is a poorly supervised area,” the residents claimed.
A residents’ spokesman confirmed an appeal may be lodged by the group if a resolution could not be reached.
According to a newsletter produced by the Cratloe Community Playground and obtained by The Clare Champion, if the playground is not sited in Cratloe Woods “there is no other option and the project is finished”.
The group warned that the €66,000 council grant would be lost if it was not availed of by next December, as it could not be used for any other project and is designated for a playground only.
While no definite figure has been confirmed for the construction cost, it could end up costing between €100,000 and €120,000, depending on how much local materials can be used.
The newsletter pointed out that a site at the rear of the Woodcross Bar hasa sewage treatment percolation area, which would pose a serious health hazard; the site to the rear of the school is ruled out on the basis the extent of the proposed expansion had yet to be determined and the site near the GAA field is considered too remote from the road and has an open drain. It also noted that a site opposite the school on Wood Road is being privately developed, while land near the church is not available to lease or buy.
The group are in the process of getting further funding from the Leader programme towards the cost, which will greatly reduce the fundraising required locally.
“We have consulted the gardaí, the county council, the national school and many others about the viability of locating the playground at this site and have only had positive feedback.
“We are and have been available at any time to speak to anyone on any aspect of this project, the aim of which is to provide a facility we can be proud of for the local children and the Cratloe community at large. The existing trees on the road frontage will be reduced so the playground facility will be clearly visible from the road and surrounds.
“There is a second car park, which would be opened by Coillte. This will avoid a build up of parking and traffic on Gallow’s Hill,” the group stated.
Playground Committee chairperson, Mary Foley, argued the increased footfall and use of the area would help reduce existing anti-social behaviour at the entrance.
Asked about the large number of objectors, Ms Foley claimed some of the original signatures had changed their minds after attending a recent information meeting and felt it is better to give it a chance.
She also questioned why the names of up to 20 objectors were not on the public planning file.
A residents’ spokesman stressed 86 people signed the objection but one page seemed to have got mislaid once it went into the council and hadn’t appeared on the public file.
Ms Foley said Coillte has plans to erect a barrier preventing access late at night, while it is also considering the use of closed circuit television cameras to tackle anti-social behaviour.
She warned if the planning application is appealed to An Bord Pleanála, it would not go ahead.
“We can’t please everyone. We are trying to bring this project to fruition for the last two years. Some people who were originally against the site have changed their minds. It has a lot of support but there are people who are still opposed to it.
“We are hoping to provide the playground at a reduced cost compared to other sites by using local materials on what will be a much bigger site,” she said.
Councillor PJ Ryan, who is a member of the playground committee, expressed concern about the frequency of anti-social behaviour in Cratloe Woods at a joint policing committee meeting in Clonlara on Monday night.
He said residents in Gallows Hill were often prevented from leaving their own homes because of careless parking across entrances by visiting motorists, who didn’t want to leave their vehicles in a remote wooded area.
Stressing Cratloe needs a new playground facility, he called for a resolution on an agreed site between all parties.