Burnaby Residents Don’t Have To Play Boule

Not in my Burnaby yard…

he Burnaby Residents Association are clearly not happy with some of the changes made at the town’s central park.

Recent months has seen new benches (plus a bespoke bench at the 1916 memorial), two additional chess tables, new bins, new pathway gravel, that dumb 2001: A Space Odyssey water plinth being repaired, and a boules court with notice board all added.

At a cost of €145,000. VAT included.

The changes have not been entirely welcome for those living beside Burnaby Park though, and four months ago, they lodged their concerns with An Bord Pleanála.

Filed on April 4th 2025, ABP case reference number RL27.322212 reads…

Whether or not: “a) The removal of a grass area of the park (c.243sqm) and the installation of a new playing area with hardcore surface, b) The installation of a series of concrete plinths in previously green areas throughout the park; c) The fixing of new furniture on these concrete plinths, including benches, and chess tables; and d) The installation of a new signage board directly adjacent to the new playing area” is or is not development and is or is not exempted development.

And An Bord Pleanála have now come back with an answer. The changes are not entirely legit. So, they, eh, may have to go.

Liam Sweeney, spokesperson for the Burnaby Park Residents Association, issued the following statement for the Guide:

Burnaby Park is a much loved and much used amenity for all residents of Greystones and visitors to the town.

We welcome the clarification provided by this decision that WCC should have applied for planning permission and engaged with the local community, before making such fundamental alterations and changes to the Park.

This was not about whether a Boules Court was a good idea or not, but rather whether before committing public funds to such a project and fundamentally changing the appearance and use of a key part of the Park, WCC should have engaged with the wider community and sought full public participation.

The first thing most people knew about this work was when the JCB arrived to remove the grass area from the Park.

Engaging in the planning process would have allowed public participation and involvement on the design and use of the park and that can only be a good thing.

We also hope that WCC will take on board the recommendation from An Comisiun Pleanala in this case that they engage a Conservation Officer or other suitable qualified individual before undertaking works that could have a material effect on the character of an Architectural Area.

We now hope that WCC will move to rectify the planning status of the works that they have carried out in the Park and engage with the public before any future works.

You can find out more about the decision over on the An Bord Pleanála website here, and get an idea of what that the great boules of ire is all about here.