Balgaddy community garden to relocate to greenfield site
By Lynda O'Donoghue Donnelly
AFTER a difficult few months it was confirmed on Wednesday that the Balgaddy Community
Garden will relocate to lands behind the local Child and Family Centre.
Although members of the group have been fighting to stay on the plot of land beside the Parish Centre – which is set to be redeveloped as a community centre – a resolution regarding the land has not been reached.
However, Natalie McDonnell, secretary of the Balgaddy Community Garden Committee, told The Echo that the committee has been working towards a solution to the problem.
She said: “We have spent the last two years negotiating to find a new site. It is not ideal but we had to face the reality and ask ‘should we stand in the way of a new state-of-the-art facility that will benefit the community?’ so we want everyone to work together.
“We are very sad to see the community garden go, but the new site is better than being evicted out on to the streets. It is not ideal because the garden is smaller than the last one we were in, but if we get it up and running it might help bring something to the Balgaddy Family Child and Family Centre.”
Members of the committee have had a number of “successful meetings” with Fr Eamonn Burke of the Parish Pastoral Council to find out more about why the garden needs to be relocated and are fully in support of a new community facility for the area.
Natalie said: “The only success story in Balgaddy is our garden and we want to keep that going. We have to get a fence up in the Balgaddy Child and Family Centre before we can start and we need support for that.”
Manager of the centre, Steve Wrenn, is looking forward to the community garden moving closer to the centre.
He said: “The idea to offer part of the garden space at the back of the Balgaddy Child and Family Centre came about during discussion between South Dublin County Partnership and South Dublin County Council.
“The opportunity to facilitate a local, community-based project such as the community garden in Balgaddy is one that could not be missed and the Partnership looks forward to the ongoing success of this project.”
It is expected that the council will provide new fencing to ensure that the garden is fully separated from the family resource centre, which is funded by Tusla, Dublin West Childcare and the partnership.
