Ballinhassig are set to be the recipients of just under €70,000 after the were picked to benefit from the Village Enhancement Scheme. Last month at the meeting of the Carrigaline Municipal District (MD) in October, Councillor Aidan Lombard (FG) advocated that Ballinhassig be given the scheme for 2021. On the day he was supported by colleagues, Cllr Marcia D’Alton (Ind) and Cllr Ben Dalton O’Sullivan (Ind).
Last week Chair of the MD, Cllr Lombard, was delighted to reveal the news that his motion from the October meeting had been passed, with €68,750 funding approved for Ballinhassig Village. The Village Enhancement Scheme, according to Cllr Lombard, should be considered on a more holistic level, with longer-term future thinking.
This is something that the Minane native has been fighting for, for some time and he believes that by putting such a strategy in place it allows funding to be mapped out in a much more effective way, giving communities more time to plan what they would like to gain from the scheme.
Speaking to The Carrigdhoun on the announcement and about future planning, Cllr Lombard said, “I am delighted that Ballinhassig has received this funding. I am also asking for a schedule of what villages will receive this funding in the years ahead so communities can be working towards a shovel ready scheme in their villages. Places like Minane Bridge and Ballygarvan have works that need doing and I think we should be pin-pointing what year they will get this funding so the community can start working towards that.”
Fantastic work has and continues to be done by the Ballinhassig Village Association, but without the necessary resources they have been able to take things so far. “The work done by the Village Association has transformed the village over the last number of years but there are issues like pedestrian safety and traffic calming that the Council can deal with under this scheme now. The big issue for the village of a safe crossing from the shop to Marian Hal and there will be a footpath from the new housing estate that needs to be fully connected to the village provided by the developer. This money will help deliver a connection between that footpath and the village centre.”
A great initiative with this scheme is that it enables a dialogue between the Council and the community so that public participation can be arranged in order to get a real sense of what the funding can be prioritised for. This according to Cllr Lombard is vital as the people of Ballinhassig know better than anyone about what will and won’t work in the village. Exciting times ahead for the Village!
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