Sinn Féin candidate in the local elections for Bray East Denise Cahill has welcomed the recent revelation of a vision for the Ballywaltrim Sports and Recreational Park, which will improve the amenities for all users. The new sports grounds as they have been envisaged have the potential to offer significant opportunities for existing groups, and for locals in the area.
Cahill demanded the same level of political focus to improve facilities in the Little Bray area, and sharply criticised the failure to progress the new sports campus on the edge of the town.
the masterplan for which was previously approved, but since then has appeared to have fallen off the political radar, with no funding forthcoming from a national level to progress the project.
She also expressed disappointment at the failure to invest funding in the People’s Park in Little Bray, and the Playing Fields in Fassaroe. Which with the planned population growth in the area badly needed investment.
With the scale of housing developments currently being undertaken on the old Bray Golf Club lands which would see 1,200 new residential units and up to 3,000 new residential units in Old Fassaroe, she stressed the importance of public amenities being provided alongside these developments to provide for the significant population increases that this will bring.
Denise Cahill said:
“I want to warmly welcome the confirmation that there is now a vision in place for the development of the Ballywaltrim Sports and Recreational Park. I would also like to congratulate and applaud the efforts of Ardmore Rovers, and Ballywaltrim United for the work they have undertaken to make this happen.
We need the same commitment, focus, and the will to improve community facilities focussed on Little Bray.
We have previously witnessed a master plan approved that would see the development of a new Multi Sports Campus on the edge of town. But this has since been allowed to fall off the political radar.
It seems that there is no room for Little Bray on the political radar of a council led by Fine Gael and the Green Party.
Questions need to be asked as to how and why this was allowed to happen?
As it stands, the Multi Sports Campus in Old Fassaroe would have served a purpose. With 3,000 new residential units being planned for the area, the Campus will just about cover these needs.
Areas like Little Bray need to see the development of their own sporting amenities.
Over the next couple of years there are 1,200 homes planned for the Sea Gardens development on the site of the Old Bray Golf Course lands. Which combined with the development in Old Fassaroe could see a combined population increase of anything between 5,000 and 10,000 between the areas.
And while this is hugely welcome, sitting as we are in the middle of a housing crisis, we need to see a corresponding commitment to develop sporting and other community facilities.
We have the People’s Park in Little Bray, and the Playing Fields in Fassaroe, these facilities need investment and an upgrade of facilities.
There is a real danger here that areas like Little Bray will be forgotten about, that they will be allowed to become the poor relation of Bray Council.
Well, I can tell you now, that is not something that I will allow to happen on my watch.
People can waltz around and throw shapes around the elections, but what Little Bray needs is a fighter, someone who will stand up and assert the rights, the needs, and the ambitions of these areas.
I believe that areas like Little Bray have the right to be ambitious, that they have the right to demand that they be provided with services, amenities, and facilities.
I have worked in my community for 20 years, fighting for their needs and rights over that time.
These are vibrant communities with huge potential. I want to see Little Bray prosper; I want to see young people have the same opportunities here as other communities enjoy. I want to see the development of civic facilities that the whole community of all ages can enjoy.
This is why I am in politics, and it is why I will continue to fight for my community. I will accept nothing less than what my community merits.