A proposal by Sinn Fein County Councillor Gerry Murray that all the key towns in Mayo should have a one-stop recreational centre is currently been rolled out by Mayo County Council via the county’s local area plans, according to the Charlestown representative.
Cllr Murray’s proposal was included as a policy objective in the County Development Plan and already a site has been identified and zoned for such a centre in the Swinford Town Plan.
Further sites will be identified and zoned in Charlestown and Kiltimagh as their local area plans are rolled out in the coming months. Commenting on the proposed new centres, Cllr Murray said that this was the first time that such an objective had been included in a County Development Plan and it was simply a response to the huge recreational deficits that exist in small towns throughout the county.
Cllr Murray explained: “Over the last number of years parents have been demanding better facilities in all our small towns for their children and teenagers, but also our adult population need access to such facilities. The new recreational centres should have provision for a cinema, bowling alley, small performance space, coffee shop and in some centres a swimming pool.
“However the big challenge is funding and local government can only do so much. Central government therefore must be prepared to fund these centres and invest in our young population and our rural communities. These centres will be a great asset to the retail viability of our small towns and will make them more attractive places to live and to raise young families. Once these centres are zoned in the local area plans I would urge all towns to lobby their national politicians to provide the funding to make them a reality.”
