Meathwoman's Diary: Amenity hopes skating past the kids of Ashbourne

The delay in delivering a skate park to Ashbourne will no doubt will be a further blow for locals who have been campaigning for more amenities for young people in the area.

It was revealed last week that plans for the much anticipated park have been stalled due to the site requiring a flood risk assessment.

Last week Meath Co Council said that the tender process for the skate park was at an advanced stage with a preferred contractor identified. However, a grenade in the form of the need for an OPW flood risk assessment was thrown in that is sure to put a spanner in the works for this project for some time to come.

In light of that information it is hard to fathom how such a major piece in the jigsaw could be left until the 'last minute.'

The plan for the amenity came to fruition after local teens campaigned for a skate park for the town.

Youngsters in Ashbourne set up a committee a number of years ago and handed a petition, signed by 180 people, to councillors, calling for a skate park.

It's likely that these youngsters will have long moved on from this campaign by the time the park is up and running as Sinn Fein Cllr Helen Meyer recently pointed out.

“I spoke to the woman who was part of Ashbourne Playspace, a group campaigning for more recreational space in the area for children who was pregnant at the time and now has a 12 year old and there’s still no public or skatepark!” she said.

“In fact I’ve heard from lots of women who were originally involved in fighting for the public park whose children are now teenagers and some who are not far off being parents themselves and who may still not see a public park for their kids!"

It' s a tale as old as time, housing developments coming on stream without corresponding infrastructure and a story the second largest town in Meath knows only too well.

Earlier this year residents in Ashbourne fighting to save their only green space won a high court case stopping the development of 30 apartments on land near their estate.

In 2021 An Bord Pleanála granted permission for 30 apartments on the only green space in Millbourne estate in Ashbourne. The decision followed many prior rejections and protests from locals.

Following public pressure the land was rezoned to public open space, however, planning permission for the three apartment blocks was granted under a previous county development plan meaning that decision still stood unless a judicial review initiated by the estate was successful.

Millbourne Resident’s Association together with the community raised an astonishing €45,000 to cover legal costs in what was to be a David vs Goliath type battle.

At one stage even the late legendary Only Fools and Horses’ actor John Challis who played “Boycie” in the iconic sitcom got in on the debate. In a hilarious video Challis channeling the iconic character warned he may have to get “The Driscoll Brothers” (Peckham’s answer to the Kray Twins) on the case and told the community to “fight the good fight.”

We can only hope this skate park doesn't turn into another 'Del Boy' saga.