Have your say on new playpark proposals

Council already owns a 3.16 hectare site adjacent to the community centre at Cardonaghy Road in the village of Ahoghill and now aims to create a park with this land.

The Borough’s Mayor, Councillor Audrey Wales MBE wants to hear from residents and other interested parties.

Officially opening the public consultation process to hear from service users, such as the community, she said: “Mid and East Antrim Borough Council is committed to the continual improvement of our Borough’s infrastructure, to creating opportunities for health and well-being, and to increasing social, environmental and economic benefits for our residents in the Borough.

“Our vision in Ahoghill is to transform an enclosed site and create a public park that will provide a popular community space with an array of walkways, wildlife, wildflowers, trees and wetlands area.

“Whilst Ahoghill has already achieved tremendous success in Ulster in Bloom and Britain in Bloom, the area is limited in nature walkways.

“The creation of this public woodland area would further enhance the offering within this village, improve quality of life for those living in the area and enhance the attractions of the area for future development,” Cllr Wales added.

The health benefits of green space are numerous, including improved mental health and wellbeing for children, young people and adults; increased physical activity across all age groups, a reduction in anti-social behaviour and crime in urban areas with green spaces, and improvement in air and noise quality.

The Mayor said that the community in Mid and East Antrim Borough is vibrant and individual, with a passion for their local area adding: “I would encourage residents to get involved in this consultation process.

“Please take a look at the site map and provide feedback by completing a short online survey.”