Press Release
Kildare County Council completes consultation process for Outdoor Teen Facility in Celbridge
Castletown and Willowbrock identified as preferred locations
Connectivity and space to socialise among the priorities
Kildare County Council with the assistance of Dr Carol Barron from the School of Nursing, Psychotherapy and Community Health, Dublin City University completed a consultation process through a series of workshops with teenagers (11-18 years) to identify what type of outdoor teen facility they want and where it should be located in Celbridge.
191 participants took part in the consultation process, these participants were from 8 schools in Celbridge (3 secondary and 5 primary schools). The need for outdoor facilities for teen in Celbridge has been highlighted by young people and parents via local surveys and consultations.
A strong theme throughout the consultation process was that teenagers felt that the town was built for adults and ‘there’s nothing really here for us’ therefore the findings and recommendations will be key to the delivery of an outdoor facility that will meet the needs of teenagers in the town.
Key findings from the process
- A facility ‘within walking distance of home’ was ranked as the most important aspect of a teen facility
- Feeling safe – ‘if I didn’t feel safe there’ was ranked as one of the biggest barriers to use of an outdoor facility. Ideas on this issue included additional lighting, security cameras and supervision/monitoring to prevent anti-social behaviour
- Two locations were identified by young people but further more extensive work and consultation will be undertaken to identify potential locations.
- A ‘skate park’ was identified as the most sought after outdoor teen facility however overall the findings were that teenagers want an area to socialise and ‘hang out’ with their friends as opposed to actually skating.
- Connectivity, teenagers pointed out the need for WiFi and charging points for phones.
Key recommendations
The following key recommendations were made on foot of the results of the consultation:
- Installation of several small facilities as opposed to one large facility – the two favoured locations: the field in Willowbrook and the grounds of Castletown House.
- Involve the teenagers in the design of the spaces.
- Create a space with multiple functions such as opportunities for unstructured physical activities (skateparks, ball parks) however the most dominant function being the provision of somewhere to socialise.
- No matter what type of facility is chosen there are certain needs that must be met such as provision of seating, shelter, WIFI, charging ports, lighting, bins and bike racks.
The full report on the consultation can be found on Kildare County Council Website: https://kildarecoco.ie/YourCouncil/Publications/Community/
Following completion of the consultation phase, next steps Kildare County Council will continue to work with the representative groups to continue the process in the process, including identifying potential locations for facilities and agreeing set phases for development and delivery including location, design and tender processes.
