Community buy-in critical at developing ‘bare’ park

COMMUNITY buy-in is “critical” to reinvigorating a “bare” park in West Tallaght, with South Dublin County Council bidding to create a source of pride and a safe-space as it starts consultations.

Jobstown Park could be about to get a facelift, with residents and stakeholders set to have an opportunity to contribute ideas before councillors vote on plans in June.

Public Realm have appointed a landscape consultant team for the Jobstown Park redevelopment with a renewed focus on meeting the needs of the communities that live and surround it.

“Our vision is to create a safe, clean environment free from anti-social behaviour for people of all ages to meet, exercise and enjoy nature,” the council said last week.

“The park should be a source of pride for the local community and a place they feel ownership of.”

A masterplan will be established with an aim of connecting the park to the wider green infrastructure and greenways, linking the 27-acre park to other high-quality open spaces nearby.

Informal consultations with local residents, groups and clubs are said to have commenced and are expected to be wrapped up by the middle of February.

This initial step will be to gauge the needs and wants of local community. Following this, councillors will be presented with an informal pre-Part 8 briefing.

The Part 8 statutory public consultation process will kick-off in the second week of march and will conclude in late April, with a report to be brought to the June meeting of the county council for approval.

“We have to go through the process at this stage,” says Cllr Charlie O’Connor.

“I am quite happy to see this development because I’d be of the view, and it’s probably not the best word, that Jobstown Park is a very bare park that is underutilised.

“However, there is a lot of potential there to create a park which is better equipped for the community.”

There is an old notice on the South Dublin County Council website, from August 2011, of a proposed masterplan for Jobstown Park – which ultimately never fully came to fruition.

This masterplan included the development of a recreational hub including a 400m athletics track, skatepark, childrens playground, and adult tone zone.

The all-weather five-a-side proposal in the 2011 masterplan has since been developed and is tied in with the facilities in Tallaght Leisure Centre.