The site in Carcur where the ‘People’s Park’ is proposed to be constructed. This plan is now in doubt due to high remediation costs. Pic: Jim Campbell
THE FUTURE of the long-awaited ‘People’s Park’, which is supposed to be constructed on the old dump site in Carcur, could now be in doubt after it was revealed that remediation costs for the landfill could cost over €1 million.
The idea of locating the park at the site may be in jeopardy according to officials at a recent meeting of Wexford Municipal District Council, where it was heard that remediation works could cost around €1 million, just to make the site ready for development into a park.
Close to €1 million of funding has been ring-fenced for this amenity, including a contribution of €300,000 from a high-profile private company.
The issue of the future of the park arose, out of leftfield when, during a discussion on roads, Cllr. Fergie Kehoe raised a question about the proposed park, asking if the Environmental Protection Agency registration had come back yet.
Director of Services Tony Larkin explained that there was a plan with the former Wexford Borough Council to develop a people’s park. This, he explained, required input from the Environmental Protection Agency because the site was an old landfill area but they had been informed since that remediation of the site could cost around €1 million.
He said that at the moment there were three options: go ahead with the plan in the current location which would be very expensive; create a smaller scale park in that location; or look for an alternative site. He remarked that the report had taken a bit longer than expected and needed to be studied. He did not want to be tied to having a briefing for the council at the next monthly meeting but said that he would have one soon.
[Full story in this week’s Echo]