A CITY councillor contends that all of the elected representatives for the northside of the city last year granted “preliminary approval” to the construction of a Youth Service Centre on the green area fronting Ballynanty Beg.Last week, residents of the housing estate staged a public protest against the development and have committed to extend their protest by calling on the support of neighbouring northside housing estates.
While two of the city’s six councillors for the northside publicly came out in support of the residents last week, they had, according to Cllr Shortt, given approval to construction of the youth service on the Balynanty Beg site, as far back as April 2011.
Cllr Shortt says the bringing together of the existing services provided on the northside by Limerick Youth Services, under one roof, is “a sensible plan that has my full support.
“The proposed location in Ballynanty Beg is central and will be easily accessible to young people from across the northside,” he says.
“Limerick Youth Services has the experience and a good track record running professionally managed and resourced services for young people in the city and the proposed centre represents an investment in all of our futures”.
He says that the best way to put strategies and facilities in place to tackle the critical levels of youth suicide, alcohol, drug abuse, emotional and mental health problems is to provide young people with activities, courses and advice, delivered by trained staff in a safe and supervised environment.
“Many young people have nowhere to go and get involved in anti-social behaviour and this centre, rather than causing anti-social behaviour as suggested by some residents, will in fact help to reduce it”.| Referring to the Garda Diversion project, which is already in Ballynanty, he says the project “sensibly avoids criminalising young offenders and provides them instead with education and guidance”. Confirming that the local Youth Cafe will move from Watch House Cross to the new building, Cllr Shortt says that while a relatively small area of green space will be sacrificed to build the Youth Service Centre, an extensive area of green space will remain.
“There is the new children’s playground in Shelbourne Park provided by the city council, which is a major addition to the young children, and another significant recreational amenity will be opened soon by the council on the site of the reclaimed Longpavement Dump”.
Cllr Shortt said: “Limerick Youth Centre is to hold an information event where I believe the fears of residents especially, the elderly can and will be answered – the reality is that we need more of these centres around the city”.
He said the proposed centre would be a “fitting tribute to the vision of Sister Joan Bowles, who began her career as a remedial teacher in Ballynanty in the 1960s and subsequently founded Limerick Youth Services”.
