Swords community begins to help shape future of major park
The first public engagement sessions on the future of Ward River Regional Park have seen a range of ideas being shared by residents of the Swords community on what they would like to see in the park moving forward.
While around 70 people met with the project team as part of an interactive workshop held at Rivervalley Community Centre, over 650 people completed an online park survey that will help inform the overall design for the park and how it should be used in the future. The in-person workshop allowed the community to see the existing conditions of the park, discussing what they would like to see as it is transformed park and how spaces could be re-imagined for people of all ages. Activity sheets with pictorial guides were provided to attendees to help visualise how the park is used.
The project - led by Fingal’s Parks & Green Infrastructure Division - aims to deliver a sustainable vision for the development of the park. Protection and enhancement of the existing heritage, ecology and biodiversity is a key element of the park’s future, along with developing new links within the park and with the wider area. A public report on the findings of the first community consultation will be published by the Council in January 2023.
Early analysis of the feedback from the survey shows a number of key themes emerging, including:
- Uses of the park
- Biodiversity
- Accessibility
- Improved routes
Building on the valuable contributions and feedback received so far, a second phase of consultation is scheduled to take place in the first half of 2023 to help develop the preliminary design proposals further.
For more information and to keep track of the project, please visit https://www.fingal.ie/WardRiverRegionalPark.
