There are calls for public lighting to be installed in Waterford's People's Park and a warden to assist in maintaining facilities to a high standard.
The 16-acre amenity is the largest public park in the city, and has been a popular destination for locals throughout the Covid-19 lockdowns.
It was laid out over a century ago, when the John's River was diverted and the marshland drained to make way for its construction.
In recent years, there has been sustained investment by the local authority with funding to maintain the Victorian-era bandstand, fountain and water feature, and the old painted iron bridge connecting the park to the grounds of the Court House.
The playgrounds, skate park and cycle track are also very popular attractions, however, labour councillor Seamus Ryan said a lot of people had raised the lack of lighting as an issue with him, especially now with the dark evenings:
"People are trying to cram in usage of the park within certain hours, because there is no public lighting".
He acknowledged that there were difficulties regarding the cost of such a provision, but said the local authority appeared open to exploring the idea further.
He also called for a warden for the park:
"There should be a 'go-to' person in the park that the public, if they have any issues, they can go to and raise that issue directly, because of the size and nature of the park from time to time there can be issues that need dealing with."
Following on from my recent call for a "Warden" for the Peoples Park I have since written to @WaterfordCounci to request public lighting in the park. This is even more important now as we see an increase in the use of this great amenity due to the #Covid crisis #Waterford
— Cllr Seamus Ryan (@seamusryan1) November 2, 2020
