The proposal to create a sensory garden in Tom Ruane Park at Clare Street in Ballina moved a step closer this week, after it received full backing from the elected members of the Ballina Municipal District for part eight planning, at their September meeting which took place virtually this week.
The idea for the garden was first put forward by the FLOW Community Project, founded by Mayo senior footballer Padraig O'Hora and Ryan Calway. The project aims to promote a more inclusive community for people with disabilities in the town and was supported by other voluntary organisations and Mayo County Council.
The sensory garden is planned to be developed on a site in the existing Tom Ruane Park, which is located on the Sligo Road in the town and will offer a wide variety of sensory experiences for visitors. The design stage of the garden is being finalised at the minute, but it will include a number of hard and soft landscaping, planting, boundary treatments and surface-paving works.
The design of the amenity is now being finalised but it will incorporate a combination of hard and soft landscaping works, surface paving, planting and boundary treatments.
When the plan for the park went to public consultation there was just one submission received by the council, which came from Inland Fisheries Ireland who commented on the need to make sure that the River Moy was protected properly during the construction and after the garden was completed.
Manager of the Municipal District for Mayo County Council, Declan Turnbull, told the elected members the plan would move on to going out to a tendering process in October or November of this year and it was hoped to have a preferred bidder selected by Christmas time, with work commencing between March and June of 2022.
All councillors in attendance at the meeting gave their full backing to the proposal, with Cathaoirleach of the district, Cllr Annie May Reape, commenting that the entire community was behind the project.
