Teens help shape future of new Enfield park

Plans for a new community park in Enfield to include teen facilities are now at the design stage with hundreds of local teenagers giving their input on what they would like to see in the facility.

It is the first project to be undertaken as part of the Town Centre First process and while funding is in place to bring it to design stage, further funding will be required to bring it fruition.

The town survey that was completed as part of the Town Centre First plan for Enfield, identified several projects that would improve the village with the need for amenities for teenagers being one of the many objectives that emerged.

Negotiations are now ongoing between Meath County Council and the Diocese of Meath over a site of almost one acre beside the Parochial House on the Dublin Road on which to develop a community park with a focus on teens.

Over the past few weeks, the Enfield Town Team has been working closely with teenagers from Enfield to help shape the future of the new park.

With the support of Enfield Community College staff and school the Enfield Town Team carried out a workshop in the school, and an online survey for the wider teenage population in Enfield to hear directly from young people about what they would love to see in a community park space designed with them in mind.

The teens were given a list of 21 activities or amenities they would like to see in the park and picked their top three. When the responses were collated, the top three items were a five-a-side football pitch, a basketball court and covered seating. They also had great ideas on how to make the park more inclusive with one contributor suggesting rather than having a sensory garden, they should call it a tranquility garden.

"Their ideas and feedback on how everyone in the community can be catered for, sensitivity for adjoining residents, neurodivergent users, and understanding of the Identity of Enfield have been vital in helping to shape the park design brief," said Frank Hughes, chairperson of the Enfield Town Team.

"The Town Team is committed to making the design park a place for everyone and all ages in the community while remaining conscious of its proximity to residential areas," he added.

The design when completed will go through the part eight planning process which includes a public consultation period when members of the public can make submissions.

The brief given to the consultants includes a community garden for growing, outdoor learning about gardening and planting, that would be intergenerational; a tranquillity garden which would provide a peaceful space for reflection and calm, as well as a variety of seating arrangements for hanging out, relaxing and gathering for all ages. It will include multi-use sport and activity area tailored to teenagers and must have attractive landscaping to include biodiversity, screening, levels and water. The activity areas will be sited away from the residential area.

Frank said: "We are delighted that the first project from the Town Centre First has finally started and we look forward to working closely with the council and the designers to bring the brief from our consultations to fruition to make a quality, community park with full engagement of the local community and council.

"Teenagers have very creatively brainstormed the types of spaces they would really enjoy using and have different or varied places to hang out in after school in the town and that they are safe. In the workshop, they did want adults around for safety and also CCTV."

"They would love to have a safe attractive place in the town that they could hang out in and play sports and a nice place to meet their friends. The other thing they all agreed on in the workshop was the presence of water. Tied in to the design of the park is the identity of Enfield which is intrinsically linked over the centuries with transport and communication and canals and railways."

Frank also explained that the intention would be that the park is run collaboratively between the council and a dedicated community park group which help oversee its management, events and maintenance, while the council retains insurance cover and maintenance of equipment, grass, infrastructure and that expressions of interest will be sought later in the process to form this group.