Community park and teen hangout facility dropped

Plans for a community park to include teen facilities on a site in the centre of Enfield have run aground after the Diocese of Meath pulled out of the potential sale of a plot of parish land earmarked for the project.

A spokesperson for Meath County Council confirmed that “tentative agreement” had been reached with the landowner regarding the site earlier this year but that during recent discussions, the landowner had informed them that it was no longer in a position to proceed with the sale.

Background work had been ongoing by the council to advance the proposal with funding secured to carry out a feasibility study and extensive consultation has been undertaken in workshops held at the local secondary school to get feedback on what amenities youngsters would like to see in the community park.

The draft design had been recently completed and Meath County Council was working to get the project ready for part eight planning later this year when it emerged that the Diocese of Meath would not be in a position to proceed with the sale.

Now stakeholders will be focusing their attention on trying to find an alternative site for the community and teen facility, which emerged as one of the key priorities during the consultations on the Town Centre First plan for the town.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Meath County Council said: “One of the objectives from the Enfield Town Centre First Plan was to acquire a suitable site to develop a park and teenager play area. To this end, the Council identified a suitable site on the Dublin Road that was potentially available for development. Discussion and negotiations have been ongoing for several months with the landowner, with a tentative agreement reached earlier this year.

“The council had sought and obtained funding to carry out feasibility designs, develop an emerging preferred option (incorporating feedback from councillors, the Town Team and the local community) with the intention of applying for a Part 8 planning in Q4 2025. The council’s appointed consultant has prepared a draft design ready for stakeholder engagement.

“However, during recent discussions, the landowner has informed the Council that they are no longer in a position to proceed with the sale of the property.”

The spokesperson added that the council will continue to engage with elected MD Members, the Town Team and the local community, with a view to identifying an alternative site.

When contacted for a statement, a spokesperson for St Finian's Diocesan Trust said: “In relation to the plot of land in Enfield, the Parish may have a potential use for the site itself and therefore is not in a position to sell.”

News that plans for a community park and teen facility will not proceed on that site has been greeted with disappointment in Enfield. While there had been some concerns from local residents in the vicinity of the site when news of the proposal emerged, efforts were being made to address those concerns in terms of the design and also around how the facility would operate.

Reacting to the news that the community park will not proceed in the earmarked location, Chair of the Enfield Town Team, Frank Hughes, said it was a “major disappointment for the town” and that they would be engaging with the council to find an alternative site.

He said: “The Council has informed the Enfield Town Team that the landowner is no longer in a position to proceed with the sale of the property for Enfield's Community Park .

“This is a major disappointment for the town, given the lack of a civic town centre amenity space for our rapidly growing community and youth. We will be urgently engaging with Council to quickly identify an alternative suitable site.”

It was the set to be the first project to progress out of the Town Centre First Plan and earlier this year, the Enfield Town team worked closely with local teenagers for their input. With the support of Enfield Community College, the town team carried out a workshop in the school, as well as carrying out an online survey for the wider teenage population in Enfield to hear directly from young people about what they would like to see in a community park space designed with them in mind. As part of this consultation the top three items on their wishlist were a five-a-side football pitch, a basketball court and covered seating.