Ashbourne is a great place to live, however, what we are really missing is a park.

The green spaces that surround us are mostly private grounds (GAA, golf club, etc) with no public access, and as a result, we often feel we need to take the car and drive 20 minutes to go to Ballyrath woods or similar to enjoy a walk with our children. Contributing to pollution by driving feels counterintuitive when the goal is to be able to enjoy some fresh air. Green space closer to home would get used all the time.

In addition, we are very concerned about the traffic that even more houses would add to the streets that we use on a daily basis to cycle with our children to school. Almost every day I find myself rushing them on their bikes to hurry up before the next speeding car approaches. I'm conscious that the lack of speed control in  [Redacted_Personal Information]is a whole different issue, but the idea that there could be more even more houses here in the future, all using these same roads, scares me and will definitely not add to the safety of the many children who live here.

My wife and I would very much appreciate it if you could please take our concerns to heart. Ashbourne has so many assets already and could be a hub for physical activity and raising families in a safe and green environment. We therefore encourage you to consider these observations and allow the park to be built.