Call for 'ready-made' park to go ahead
Cllr D'Arcy said the park is badly needed for a rapidly growing population
A proposal has been put forward to provide a much-needed public park for the rapidly growing Williamstown and Dunmore Road community, with local Councillor Jim D’Arcy calling on Waterford City and County Council to act quickly on what could be a “ready-made park” requiring only modest investment to open to the public.
The proposal centres on an existing area of land beside Williamstown Golf Club, which is currently used as a practice area. The site is approximately the same size as Dunmore East Park, making it a significant opportunity to provide genuine parkland for a community that currently has a distinct shortage of large, safe and accessible public open space.
“This is essentially a ready-made park,” said Cllr D’Arcy.
“The land is already there, the drainage is already in place, there is access from the existing golf club car park, and it would not interfere with the operation of the 18-hole golf course," he added.
He said a park already exists — it just needs to be opened!
Cllr D'Arcy said that rather than wait years for a major new park development, the existing area could be transformed into an immediate community amenity with a walking and cycling-friendly path around its perimeter, along with a small number of benches and appropriate planting.
The proposed perimeter path could have a simple track surface similar to that used on the Ballinakill River Trail.
The area could then be enhanced over time with native Irish trees and pollinator-friendly planting, creating a natural environment that would benefit both the community and local biodiversity.
Importantly, the drainage infrastructure is already complete and is currently maintained by the golf club.
There is also existing access through the golf club car park, meaning that the basic infrastructure required to make the area accessible is already in place.
“The beauty of this proposal is its simplicity,” said Cllr. Jim D’Arcy.
“We are not talking about starting from scratch. We have an existing piece of land, existing access and completed drainage," he added.
"The immediate requirement is essentially a perimeter path, some benches and the opening of the area for public use.”
While converting the area to community parkland would represent a loss of practice space for the golf club, Cllr D'Arcy said that would equate to a relatively small loss when weighed against the "enormous benefit to the wider community".
“This would undoubtedly be a loss to the golf club in terms of the practice hole,” said Cllr. Jim D’Arcy, “but it would be a huge gain for the community.”
“We have to look at the bigger picture. Williamstown and the Dunmore Road area have grown enormously, and we need to provide the green infrastructure that should come with that growth," he said.
He said the proposed area is a particularly compelling opportunity because of its scale.
Dunmore East Park has an area of approximately 22,000 square metres, with a perimeter of more than 700 metres.
The Williamstown site is of a comparable scale and has an estimated perimeter of approximately 1 kilometre.
He said that means the community could potentially gain a substantial piece of public parkland without the need to identify and acquire a completely new site.
“This isn't a tiny green area beside a housing estate,” said Cllr D’Arcy.
“This is a substantial piece of land capable of functioning as a proper community park.”
He said one of the major advantages of the proposed location is that it is set away from the public road.
"The area has no direct access onto a busy roadway, creating a much safer environment for families with young children," he said.
"Parents could put down a blanket, children could play and people could walk around the perimeter without the constant concern of traffic," he added.
He also said the proposal would complement, rather than replace, existing facilities such as those at Farronshoneen, commenting that those areas perform an important role as playgrounds and small-scale recreation spaces, but they cannot provide the same experience as a larger, natural parkland environment.
Such is Cllr D'Arcy's belief in the proposal that he committed to putting his General Municipal Allocation (GMA) allowance towards helping make the project happen.
“As a local councillor, I am committed to allocating my GMA allowance towards this project to help get it off the ground,” he said.
“I want to see this become a reality, and I am prepared to put my local funding allocation behind it," he added.
"If we can combine that with the Council's resources and the cooperation of the golf club, I believe we can deliver something very positive for the community.”
While the immediate objective is to open the land as accessible parkland, Cllr D'Arcy said the site could have significant potential for further development in the future.
Native Irish trees could be planted along the perimeter, including species such as oak, birch, alder and yew, while pollinator-friendly planting could create valuable habitat.
He also said the shape of the site is such that it could potentially lend itself to small-scale community events and outdoor music performances.
"At the narrowest end, facing back towards the access gate, there may be potential for small concerts similar in concept to events held at Ballykeefe in Kilkenny," he said.
"A small event for 200 people, for example, could eventually generate modest revenue that could be reinvested into the park," he added.
However, he said the first step is simply to open the space.
“The community needs a park now," he said.
The proposal has been put forward to FMG Consulting as part of the current Williamstown Golf Course feasibility study being undertaken on behalf of Waterford City and County Council.
Cllr D'Arcy said the proposal follows around two years of work and engagement with officials behind the scenes.
“I have been working quietly in the background with various officials over the last two years and I feel now is the time to make this public because I genuinely believe it has a great chance of succeeding," he said.
"This is an opportunity to deliver a significant community amenity quickly and at relatively low cost," he added.
“We have a ready-made piece of parkland, we have access, we have drainage, we have a perimeter that can be developed as a walking route and we have a growing population that desperately needs more public open space.”
“What we need now is the will to make it happen," he said.
