Work towards services and amenities in every community

In a well-planned society, infrastructure, services and amenities keep pace with development.  So if population increases in a town because new housing is built, then either the developers of the new housing are obliged to provide amenities and services to serve the residents of the new housing or they provide finance to the local authority to do it instead.

We all know this has not happened over recent years in Ireland.  The population of my own town of Passage West has doubled in the last 10 years.  In 2011, there were 525 teenagers living in the town.  Because of the housing boom, In the next few years, the teenage population will increase by a further 50%.   Planning permission has been granted for a Multi-Use-Games-Area in the town.  Cork County Council has adequate funds in development contributions from the building of a local housing estate.  Although those contributions were given specifically for the provision of local recreational facilities, Cork County Council still refuses to release funds to build that MUGA.

The use of those development contributions for recreational purposes is the right of the people of this town.  It is entirely unjust that Cork County Council is not working with the Passage West community to ensure the timely provision of this amenity.

Our situation in Passage West is reflected across so many other communities in South Cork.  Yet national policy on sustainable urban development is quite clear that this is completely unacceptable.