BANTEER COMMUNITY SPORTSFIELD LTD 

MOVING AHEAD 

WITH PLANS FOR PHASE 2 OF ITS DEVELOPMENT

Phase 1 of  Banteer Community Sportsfield's project, which was the development of the Sportsfield and Park areas  is now complete , and this group is currently making plans for phase 2 of its development . Total project cost for phase 1 were in excess of  £150,000.   These facilities were officially opened in August 2000 combined with a highly successful Festival weekend.

The Park development involved the development of a park area at the existing Pondfield area, which was originally approx 1.7 acres of a lake area.

This included comprehensive landscaping of the area, provision of seating areas with wheelchair friendly seating/tables, provision of viewing areas on pond, provision of 2 fishing stands, provision of pathway around pond, and provision of pathway lighting.

Adjacent to the park a wheelchair accessible toilet is provided along with babychanging facilities.

Adjacent to the proposed park area, the Sportsfield area was developed with new dressingrooms, floodlighting, public toilets, disabled toilets, babycare facilities, sideline seating, landscaping, spectator viewing area designed with access for disabled spectators.

All these facilities can be viewed on the internet under www.duhallow.com  

These facilities were developed in 2000 with the help of various sources of funding and with significant funding from a local £20 draw, IRD Duhallow and the Department of Sports.

Banteer Community Sportsfield Ltd is currently making plans for phase 2 of its development which will include improved drainage of existing pitch, development of a new pitch which will be located in the adjacent field, improvements to existing machinery, shed, provision of a childrens playground, provision of additional dustbins, provision of extended walks/lighting around sportsfield area and adjacent field, provision of a stone plaque at entrance, provision of a kitchen area, additional lights at park entrance, sportsfield entrance and at new pitch.

It is also planned to do additional landscaping in Park area and also provide a long jump and hammer throwing area. Other improvements planned include stocking of existing lake with carp fish, provision of more seating areas, purchase of a mower, provision of an amplification system and 3 phase electrical power supply.

All this developmnent work is dependent on adequate funding being available and fundraising for phase 2 will start in the next few months. Approximately £50,000 will  need to be raised locally to make this work happen and any feedback from locals as to how to achieve this would be appreciated .

Banteer Community Sportsfield Ltd Further Development at Banteer Sportsfield/Park

Banteer Community Sportsfield Ltd has commenced phase 2 of its development at Banteer Sportsfield /Park area.
Banteer Community Sportsfield Ltd. is a voluntary community organisation made up of 3 different local community groups. These groups came together in 1996 to improve their local community and  having completed phase 1 ,are being praised in many circles as an example of what rural community areas can achieve by pooling their resources and working together.

This group is committed to providing  sporting and leisure  facilities for all sectors of the local community . Banteer and its surrounding areas are developing at a fast rate and all these people need the type of infrastructure already in place under phase 1, along with that under way in  phase 2 of this development.
Banteer and its surrounding community can take pride in the fact that over the past 16 years, they have completed and paid for other such facilities as a Community Centre, Community Playschool, Glen Theatre facility  and more recently Development of its rivers in Banteer,Kilcorney,Rathcoole and surrounding areas.
Total project costs for phase 1 were in excess of  250,000Euros.   These excellent facilities were completed during 1999/2000 and  officially opened in August 2000 combined with a highly successful community  Festival weekend.
Phase 1 development was made up of two parts
a) Park development
b) Sportsfield development

The Park development involved the development of a park area at the existing Pondfield which was originally approx 1.7 acres of  overgrown lake area.   This included comprehensive landscaping, provision of seating areas with wheelchair friendly seating/tables, provision of viewing areas on lake, provision of 2 fishing stands with disabled access, provision of pathway around pond, and provision of pathway lighting. This part of the project was planned and developed in close liason with Duchas, in such a way as to preserve and improve the natural habitat for the smooth crested Newt which resides in the existing pond.
Adjacent to the Park a wheelchair accessible toilet was provided along with babychanging facilities.
The Sportsfield area was developed with, new dressingrooms, floodlighting, public toilets, disabled toilets, babycare facilities, sideline seating, landscaping and spectator viewing area designed with access for disabled spectators.
All these facilities completed under phase 1, can be viewed on the internet under www.duhallow.com  under Banteer
These facilities were developed in  1999/2000 with the help of various sources of funding including IRD Duhallow,Department of Tourism Sport and Recreation,Cork County Council and with significant funding from a local  draw.    Further fundraising activities such as table quizzes, walks,festival, duck races,  sponsored advertising boards were also held to raise funds
Banteer Community Sportsfield Ltd however does not intend resting on its laurels and  is currently well advanced in its plans for phase 2 of its development  which  include

a)     a new pitch which is located in the adjacent field which the group has purchased.This pitch will be 130metres by 80metres and will run at 90 degrees to the existing pitch.Work is well advanced on this pitch with fencing etc to complete .
b)     a childrens playground, which will be located at the top of the Sportsfield area and adjacent to the Park area.This playground design is finalised and construction is starting this month and it is designed to meet EU safety standards.The final design has received independent safety approval .
c)      Development of a 1km walk with lighting around Park area by laying a  new pathway which will continue up the hill at the top of the Sportsfield area and then continue around existing pitch and re-enter the Park area adjacent to existing dressingrooms. Additional landscaping,seating,fountain in the lake and other improvements are also planned
d)     Improved drainage system for  existing pitch
e)     Construction of hammer throwing area .
Total estimated costs at this stage for phase 2 are approx 250,000 Euros. When this phase is  complete the total expenditure on the Sportsfield/Pondfield development project will be close to 500,000 euros with 250,000 Euros already spent on phase 1.

The project has received 3 national awards to date,namely AIB Better Ireland Award,Limerick Civic Trust ,a National Tidy Towns award , along with a special presentation from IRD Duhallow. The committee are on target to complete all development work before the end of 2002 and wish to sincerely acknowledge the generous financial support received for this phase 2 developments from IRD Duhallow, Cork County Council, Department of Tourism,Sport and Recreation,local sponsors,and from  all the local people who supported the recent fundraising draw.
The committee also  plan to hold the Festival weekend again this year on the August Bank Holiday weekend which will help to raise some of the much needed funds 

This ambitious project  will benefit the people of Banteer parish and surrounding areas.
 

Phase 2  of €500,000 Development commence at Banteer Sportsfield/Park

The Official signing of  the Childrens Playground contract for Banteer Community Sportsfield Ltd along with the launch of  phase 2 development work  took place at Glen Theatre,Banteer on Mon last 4th March 2002 with a large attendance present.

This second phase development  work which is costing €250,000 consists of a new pitch,a childrens playground,drainage of existing pitch ,fencing and the development of a 1 kilometre lighted walk along with other improvements such as landscaping,seating,fountain in lake,plaque at entrance,etc.When this phase is  complete the total expenditure on the Sportsfield/Pondfield development project will be close to €500,000  with €250,000 already spent on phase 1.

The project has received 3 national awards to date,namely AIB Award,Limerick Civic Trust and National Tidy Towns award 2001 along with a special presentation from IRD Duhallow. The committee are on target to complete all development work before the end of 2002 and acknowledged the generous financial support received for this phase 2 developments from IRD Duhallow, Cork County Council, Department of Tourism,Sport and Recreation,local sponsors,and from  all the local people who supported the fundraising draw. IRD Duhallow manager,staff and board members were also present on the night along with Local Councillors, TD and local press.

The committee also  plan to hold the Festival weekend again this year on the August Bank Holiday weekend which will help to raise some of the much needed funds 

Refreshments were  provided on the night by Tom Ducey.