Residents object to Athenry outdoor adventure park

By SIOBHÃÂN HOLLIMAN OBJECTIONS have been lodged against a proposal to locate a major children's outdoor adventure park near Athenry. The significant leisure facility is earmarked for a five-hectare site owned by Roger and Michelle Leggett at Farranablake, on the Athenry-Craughwell road. [private] An application seeking outline planning permission for the project was lodged with Galway Co Council a few weeks ago but this has been met with stern opposition from a number of residents in the area. The plans give brief details of the adventure park, which would have a large central maze along with other activities. These include a play castle, a high-rope course, obstacle course, and playground, climbing wall, mini-golf, mini-cars, an all-weather surface multi-play area and a special needs activity park. Other activities would be facilitated inside two large barn-type structures, which would house a children's play area and games room as well as changing rooms. A café, shop and other administrative buildings are also part of the overall plan. Three separate objections signed by a number of people from the general Farranablake area have been lodged so far at County Hall. A couple, who live close to the earmarked site, complain that the car park and bus park would result in noise pollution and the development in general would affect their privacy. They raise concerns regarding traffic safety in the area and also believe that a high fence will impact on the amount of winter sunshine their property receives. Other residents claim the scale of the adventure park development is excessive and obtrusive given the pattern of development locally. They strongly oppose the project on invasion of privacy grounds and believe it would also negatively impact on the market value of their properties. 'The development, if permitted, would destroy what is a truly residential area and detract from the overall grandeur and quality of the area,' states the objection. Traffic concerns are also a significant part of the objection lodged by other residents. They argue that traffic on the road has increased dramatically since the construction of the M6 and that the adventure park would create further traffic difficulties and traffic noise. 'To permit this development would obviously exacerbate an already intolerable traffic situation,' according to an objection. Those opposing the development also believe that an outdoor adventure park is inconsistent with the existing development in the area. The application has also attracted attention from the NRA, which has outlined a number of concerns. The roads authority doesn't feel the application hasn't shown that the development won't have a detrimental impact on the local national road network. It is particularly concerned about the floodlit, all-weather play area which it says could result in distracting or blinding drivers using the nearby M6. Planners at County Hall are currently considering the application and a decision is expected in the next two weeks. However only outline planning permission has been sought and no development could take place without a full planning application being made which would give exact details of what is being proposed. [/private]