Anger as playground funding is lost

There has been an angry reaction in the Ballivor community to the news that funding set aside to provide a playground in the village was diverted to the Slane Electoral Area. Ballivor Community Council had believed that the funding of €60,000 was ringfenced for a playground in the village and only recently learned that the funding had instead been transferred to another area of the county. Community Council PRO Anne Corrigan said: "We are very disappointed. We thought it was all signed, sealed and delivered and that work was going to start and then our members went to a meet and were told the money was gone." Ms Corrigan said there are a lot of young families in the area and that many would not have transport during the week to go to Trim to the playground there. "We thought the playground would be up and running this year and were expecting work to start. People are very annoyed. It is like everything else in Ballivor, we are going backwards instead of forwards. Ballivor is the forgotten village in Meath between no water, NEC closing and the library that never started. Now the playground, what is going to go next?" she asked. According to Meath County Council, the reason the funding was transferred to Slane was because it had to be drawn down within a specific timeframe and the licence arrangement on the site identified in Ballivor was not completed within this time. Meath County Council spokesperson Bill Sweeney said that funding was made available for playgrounds in Meath in 2006 which was divided equally across the five electoral areas with €60,000 allocated to each area, including the Trim area, which includes Ballivor. Because there was no funding for land acquistion, a site in Woodgrove, Ballivor that was owned by the council was identified but the site was found to be unsuitable because of its size and for safety reasons. Mr Sweeney said that a further site adjoining the community crèche and not in the council's ownership was found to be suitable. However, it was not possible to conclude a licence agreement to allow the use of the site within the time limits for spending of the grant. "The council is progressing the issue and discussions are continuing with the owners of the site with a view to finalising a licence. On completion of the licence, the necessary planning approval will be sought. This will allow the project to proceed when funding becomes available," said Mr Sweeney. However, local Labour councillor Tracy McElhinney said she did not accept this. She said they were told the money had been ringfenced. She said: "As far as I was aware, the money were there and was supposed to be ringfenced for Ballivor for a playground. We met with (county manager) Tom Dowling in 2007 about things that were going to be done for the village and one of the priorities was a playground. The council is going to have to find money somewhere," she said. Former FF councillor Seamus Murray, who lost his council seat in 2009, said he was "extremely disappointed" that the funding had been lost as he had worked hard to get it for Ballivor. He said it had been agreed by full council that the money was ringfenced for the Trim area, and was for Ballivor. "I don't know how it could have been done without going before a council meeting. If it was moved by the officials, then it is not their job. It is a reserved function. At every area meeting I was at up to June, I enquired what was happening and was told the money was safe and was ringfenced while the issue with the site was being resolved. I can't accept that Meath County Council has the authority to take this money away or that the Trim area council members would allow this to happen," he said. Mr Murray pointed out that another site was also identified in the development plan last year at the back of the community centre which the parish was willing to donate.