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Major facelift for Buncrana
wasteland
30.01.08
A TWO-acre wasteland in
Buncrana has been awarded funding for regeneration.
The land behind Buncrana Tourist Office runs
alongside the Mill River and had deteriorated into
an unofficial dumping ground. Part of it will become
the base for the town's gardeners while it is
envisaged the site could also become a wildlife
habitat for schools and the public to visit.
The land is leased from the Department of Transport
and Marine and while a hub of activity in the past,
it degenerated beyond recognition in the last three
decades. |
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Talented town gardener
George McDermott and his team will now be relocated
to the site having previously worked within major
space constraints behind the Council offices. The
move means they will be able to increase the number
of poly-tunnels they use to mature and tend new
plants.
Sinn Féin councillor Daren Lalor, who pushed for the
regeneration of the site, today welcomed the move.
"The reality is that we have been using this prime
site at the entrance of our town as a landfill |
for the last 30 years.
So the question for me was why were we not using it
to its full potential," said Cllr. Lalor. "After
receiving full backing from my colleagues for a
motion back in October 2007, we have now been able
to allocate funding from this year's budget.
"As well as relocating the gardening depot on this
site, we have started the process of consultation
with individuals and voluntary groups within the
town," added Cllr. Lalor.
"It is vitally important that we seek the thoughts
and ideas for the project from members of the
community. For if it is going to develop over time,
it will only reach its full potential if it is
community led."
The town councillor said the conservation value of
the site next to the Mill River could be enhanced
through the introduction of a wide range of insects
such as butterflies, moths, birds, bats and other
animals while providing an important source for
local environmental education. |
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