Proposed Newbridge Youth Centre In Doubt Amid KCC Staffing Issues

KCC initially intended to brief members in October, and commence the public consultation process in November

A proposed youth centre for Newbridge has been dealt a blow following a recent meeting of Kildare-Newbridge MD.

Kildare County Council said that it had initially been it's intention to brief elected members in October and commence the public consultation process for the Part 8 permission for development in November.

However, it said that in light of "resource constraints with technical staff", the project has not progressed enough to meet the intended timeline.

KCC added that staff redeployment is not an option as there are several competing projects within the Strategic Projects and Public Realm Team (SPPR).

Alternative options are being considered, but they're expected to be "costlier and won’t align with the original intended timeline".

The remaining items with the site relate to the "reconfiguration and design" of the yard area to the rear, and the technical assessment and costing of that matter, with attendant legal issues to be resolved.

In addition, from an architectural perspective it was intended that sketches and images would be prepared, above the normal materials prepared for Part 8 consultation.

This work has not been carried out either.

Final preliminary surveys, mainly related to drainage and other services had concluded in the summer, as did other consultations with other Council Departments in preparation for the Part 8 (planning) process.

Speaking on Kildare Today, Independent Councillor for Kildare-Newbridge MD Tom McDonnell said it's a "very complex site":

"It's a very complex site, there have been problems with it, I've pointed this out on a good few occasions, that you're better off to have a greenfield site and build off that, it's much easier for any builder.

"They're having all sorts of different issues there. We need a proper youth centre for Newbridge, a proper site."

Cllr McDonnell added that he has been raising this issue for a while, also of the belief that the proposed building is too small to be a youth centre.

"I have been bringing this question up for a while, and I've been right so far."

"It [the building] is very, very, very small, you won't fit more than 20 or 30 people in there. They won't fill what we need in Newbridge, we have 30,000 in the area, and to have a small 1960/70s bungalow is inadequate and a bad decision," he concluded. 

The full interview can be heard below: