Calls to upgrade skate park to accommodate growing demand

Calls have been made to upgrade or extend the skate park in Griffeen Valley Park to accommodate the growing demand in Lucan and surrounding areas with €120,000 of funding available for the project.

The skate park is noted to be a popular spot for young people and options under consideration include the provision of an additional skating bowl.

The council noted that the existing park, located behind the new Aura Lucan Leisure Campus, was designed so that there was space behind it, should an extension be needed.

The local authority intends to carry out a consultation exercise to ascertain the views of the users and implement them where possible in the final design.

Councillor Helen Farrell welcomed the six-figure sum earmarked for the project and underlined the importance of amenities such as the skate park and tennis courts.

Cllr Farrell said: “I also think the park has suffered a loss of tennis courts already and when you go to places like Ballyfermot, where there’s a successful pool, there’s pitches, there’s tennis courts, everything is working together.

“So, I think the skate park really needs a serious revision and upgrade and we need to be looking at the size of it in relation to our population density.”

The 2022 census figures for Lucan indicate a population of 57,550 live in the area, a rise of over 8,000 compared to the 2016 figures.

Lucan has seen substantial growth over the last 35 years and nearby strategic development zones, Adamstown and Clonburris.

Adamstown has a population of around 10,000 according to the recent census and a planned extra 15,000 people set to be accommodated by it.

Clonburris is also planned to house over 20,000 people, likely taking the population of the Lucan/Adamstown/Clonburris area to over 100,000 by the time both west Dublin towns are built.

Councillor Liona O’Toole noted that the more demanding housing targets set for South Dublin County Council add to the necessity of providing spaces such as a revamped skate park for the population of the area.

Cllr O’Toole said: “Considering we know what’s coming down the road where we have all this proposed rezoned land that we now have to look at, that’s going to create a lot more housing development in the area.”

Councillor Caroline Brady and Councillor Joanna Tuffy commended the young people who use the park and the work of previous councillors who got the skate park in Lucan respectively.

Cllr Brady stated her delight at the cleanliness of the park, looked after by skaters and the responsibility they show.

Cllr Tuffy namedropped former politician, the late Derek Keating and his role in bringing the park to the area.

Cllr O’Toole compared the amenities and spaces in Lucan to other parts of Dublin she has driven to, such as Blanchardstown.

The Lucan councillor said: “When I drive to other areas of Dublin, I might pass other teenspaces, playgrounds and such.

“It’s often come to me and whoever’s in the car, whether it’s a teenager or something, they look at the facility and they say ‘wow, look at that’ and it’s absolutely huge – the one in Blanchardstown I speak of.

“I try my best to say ‘look, that’s what we’re working hard on in the Lucan area’, but we’ve a long way to go.”

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.