Council asked to look at BMX and skate park for western side of Galway City
From this week's Galway City Tribune - A proposal for the creation of a skate or BMX park and a ‘pump track’ for bikes alongside a youth café – to serve children and teens on the western side of the city – has been submitted under the Draft Galway City Development Plan currently under consideration by the City Council.
Foróige Youth Services contend there is a need for a multi-functional space in the Westside or Knocknacarra which would facilitate a youth hub or café to cater for young people aged up to 18, to encourage them to gather together "constructively”.
Foróige, which offers meeting places, classes and trips away for youths, pointed out that there has been a large increase in residential development in Galway City West which need to be complemented by youth-friendly facilities to address the needs of young people in the area.
“A combination of a youth café space with outdoor recreation facilities would also provide a degree of passive supervision of such spaces and a sense of ownership and community amongst young people in the area,” the submission to City Hall reads.
“Foróige notes that there is a lack of adequate and appropriate recreational spaces for older teenagers between 10-18 in the Galway City West area.
“Foróige would like to see the development of skateparks or BMX parks like Ballyfermot BMX park and pump tracks such as the Shannon Pump Track in the area along with a youth cafe type space which would serve as a focal point for young people to gather together constructively in the area.”
Paul Hayes, a youth worker with Foróige in Knocknacarra, told the Galway City Tribune that people complained about teenagers hanging around and engaging in antisocial behaviour, but there were no facilities to keep them occupied.
“We just can’t seem to get these things off the ground in Galway, which is so far behind other cities when it comes to having facilities for teenagers,” he stressed.
“The BMX park in Ballyfermot (pictured) came about when they went into schools and designed it with the students. It consists of a playground for youngers kids and section for skaters and bikers. The kids have really taken ownership of it. They go around and pick up litter. It’s completely transformed the area.”
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