Council can take over play area says firm

Residents of Bovally area of Limavady have campaigned for some time for a small space for children to kick a ball or fly a kite at a plot of land adjacent to Petrie Place, near the Edenmore Road area of the town.

Around 1,000 have signed a petition to oppose planning permission for a proposed housing development, expressing fears that their hopes for an open play area for children would be scuppered should the development go ahead.

When the plans were eventually approved, residents had sought an accommodation for an open space from the firm now pressing ahead with the development - Braidwater.

Negotiations between Limavady Borough Council and Braidwater have been ongoing for some time. A report prepared for the local council by Director of Development at Limavady Borough Council, Valerie Richmond, says that Braidwater has proposed two possible solutions to the open space issue.

“Braidwater would like to put the following two points to Council”, the report states.

“For the benefit of the local residents, is council interested in taking over the ownership and maintenance of this area when it is completed?

“Is council interested in working with Braidwater to design, fund/procure grant support and build a play space/open space area that is suitable for local residents needs and if so what would the process and time-frame be for doing so?”

If an agreement cannot be reached for either of those options, the local council say Braidwater will move forward with plans that would mean only those paying a fee to a management company would have access to the current open space.

The report states: “If the response to the above points are negative Braidwater indicated that they will have to move forward with a private management company scenario where the benefit of the open space is limited to those occupying the housing development and then limited to those who are paying the service charge.”