Residents draw up business plan for community centre
The Newcastle Combined Community Association have launched their business plan to secure funding for a community centre in the local area.
NCCA Public Relations Officer Martin Quinn revealed the plan was “broadly welcomed by Galway City Council and the public”.
“It is at the stage now where we’ve met with the City Manager and we hope to meet with Minister Michael Ring in the next few weeks. He has read the plans and is very impressed with it, so it is ready to go once we have the funding, it’s as simple as that,” he said.
The proposed centre – located in Fairlands Park – includes a general purpose sports hall, games room, meeting rooms, changing and toilet facilities, a car park and grounds to walk around in. The 34-page plan specifies the option for “further expansion”, if required in the future.
The NCCA will be looking to secure funding from Grant Aid through the City Council, the Sports Capital Programme and the Community Services Programme.
With the current planning permission contract due to run out in 2020, plans to begin the work are of a time-sensitive nature. “We would hope to have start working on it before the planning permission runs out next November,” he said.
Mr Quinn revealed funding is the main impediment to the project, stating: “We have the site, we have the planning, but you would be talking nearly €1 million. We need support from the Government and Galway City Council.”
The plan states the closure of Kelehan’s Pub and the demolition of the Westwood Hotel, have left the Newcastle area “devoid of any social amenity or meeting place”. Residents, active retirement groups and schools have had to use community centres in Salthill and the City centre, due to a lack of facilities in the North-West of the city.
Mr Quinn told the Galway City Tribune: “What triggered this was the loss of the Westwood Hotel. It is amazing how that has negatively affected the community here. We had to go over to the Menlo Hotel to organise the launch.”
The NCAA believes the continued expansion of NUIG has altered the dynamic of the residential area. The business proposal states “the growth in student numbers has resulted in the exodus of many families and owner occupiers from the estates as properties are purchased by landlords for student accommodation. The takeover by NUIG of the Franciscan property, whose hall and playing fields were always freely available to young and old for recreational purposes, has left a great void in the community”.
The NCAA said the failure to provide adequate amenities in Newcastle has resulted in the area becoming “socially deprived.”
Mr Quinn and the NCAA hope to arrange a meeting with Minister for Rural and Community Development Michael Ring, to discuss the future of the project, in the coming weeks.