CHILDREN in three areas of Limerick City will be the first to avail of a “pop up” play area pilot project being undertaken by Limerick City and County Council’s Active Travel and Parks departments.
The initiative will see trees that were cut down on the Mill Road in Corbally being reused for natural playgrounds in Kennedy Park, Corbally Baths and Mayorstone Quarry.
The trees were felled to facilitate an Active Travel project and their trunks will be used in the pop up playgrounds which are designed to allow children to sit on, climb on or walk on as they play with siblings or friends.
Senior Engineer with the Active Travel team, Sean McGlynn, said that a significant part of the Active Travel mission statement centres around sustainability.
“While a move towards more sustainable transport measures is needed, it’s recognised this will, on occasion, have small impacts on our landscape.
“Along with our colleagues in the Parks Department, we have come up with an alternative use for these particular trees that will allow children to express themselves through natural play.”
Carmel Lynch, of the Council’s Environment, Recreation and Climate Change department, added: “We are moving towards providing natural play to children and encouraging them to engage more with nature and their natural surroundings.
“An opportunity presented itself with the Active Travel Project on the Mill Road and we are thankful to the Active Travel team for their part in this collaboration. The initiative is temporary to begin with, so we would really appreciate the public’s feedback on the facilities over the next number of months,” Ms Lynch added.
Officials from the Recreation team will monitor the initiative for the next number of months to assess its progression and people with feedback on the pilot programme should contact [email protected]
