PLAY PARKS IN DERRY: Facility in the Currynierin area of the city described as an 'absolute disgrace'

A play park in the Currynierin area of Derry has been described as an 'absolute disgrace'.

Two years ago, Derry City and Strabane District Council commissioned Playboard NI to carry out a detailed audit of all the play facilities available in the local area.

The findings of the audit were outlined yesterday at a meeting of the council's Environment and Regeneration Committee.

The report found that more than a third of the 82 parks in council area were of a poor standard.

This included the Currynierin park.

Speaking at the meeting, Sinn Fein councillor Christopher Jackson said the details of the audit report highlighted the 'scale of the task that is in front of us all' in relation to improving local play facilities.

He said he had a number of concerns, particularly in relation to areas of the Waterside.

Cllr Jackson said many of the issues had been 'red-flagged' for a 'considerable' length of time.

He said a consultation had been carried out with the community in Currynierin and a new play facility had been designed for the area and taken through the planning process.

He said the project has been 'spade-ready' for a number of years but work has not started.

“As a council we have built up expectation in the local community but we delivered absolutely nothing,” he said.

“It is not good enough that we bring play facilities or schemes up to the stage where it is spade-ready and then it sits on a shelf.”

Cllr Jackson asked for a report to be prepared by council officers specifically on the Currynierin park plans to show what funding opportunities have been explored and what 'barriers have been put in place' in relation to the delay with the project.

Cllr Jackson's comments were supported by Alliance councillor Philip McKinney who described the current play facilities in Currynierin as 'an absolute disgrace'.

Cllr McKinney said that if children from the area wanted to use good playing facilities they have to cross two busy roads to access a play park in Drumahoe.

In response, Colin Kennedy, the council's Parks Development Manager, said that a funding application for the Currynierin park had been submitted to the Department of Justice but it had been unsuccessful.

He said a further application had been made to the Department of Communities for the necessary funding but added that bid had been left 'undetermined'.

Mr Kennedy said they would bring back a 'comprehensive' report on what has been done to date in relation to the proposed Currynierin park and what the next stages are.

He added that there was a 'huge amount of work' to be done on how the council is going to find the funding to deliver on all the proposed play schemes in the local area.

DUP Alderman David Ramsey described the park at Rossdowney Drive in the Waterside as 'dangerous' and said that what equipment remained needed to be removed and replaced.

It was agreed at the meeting that a detailed plan should be put together on the costs involved in upgrading the play facilities and brought before councillors later this year for approval.