Ashbourne
The importance of publicly available green space cannot be understated. Currently Ashbourne has a young and growing population in excess of 15,000 and little or no publicly available or accessable green space. I fully support the rezoning of 80 acres of lands for the purpose of a public park.
The recent covid-19 pandemic has further highlighted this issue, when gov. restrictions prohibited travel outide of 5k. This resulted in citizens being left with little or no option but to walk / excercise every day on footpaths in housing estates and totally unsuitable busy regional roads, breathing in traffic fumes and facing conflict with vehicular traffic. This is just totally uacceptable.
Ashbourne has been seriously neglected when it comes to the provision of suitable green infrastructure to support it's expanding population, in comparison to similar towns and villages in our neighbouring counties such as Dublin City and Fingal. As a resident with a young family, not only is it frustrating and disheartening to be forced to travel to Dublin and Fingal to access our nearest regional parks for basic excercise and fresh air, it is also shortsighted of MCC for a number of reasons:
This directly contravenes the Council Strategy in relation to Climate Action and active travel. We currently have a requirement to use a private car to travel to a park, when we should be walking / cycling to a nearby park in Ashbourne.
Economic Development plans for the County (Make it Meath) aim to retain business within the County. Currently we have little option but to travel to a different county to access green open space, and with a young family will inevitably spend money there also.
Health and wellbeing of citizens is an essential component in the development of a sustainable community. Providing a regional park and a space for excercise and outdoor activity contributes greatly towards developing an active and healthy community.
I fully support the 80 acres identified for rezoning as public greenspace for the community. Extensive assessment work has already been conducted and it would be inefficient and a poor use of public resources to recommence a process which has already been exhausted. The lands at Churchfields have been identified as most suitable for an entrance and should be retained for that purpose.