A multi-million pound redevelopment of the People’s Park in Portadown, Co Armagh, is to receive planning approval in less than two weeks time, Armagh I can reveal.
Craigavon Borough Council had submitted a planning application for the ‘shared space’ project and DoE Planning Service will return a decision to approve when it goes before the council on Monday, January 20.
The work, advertised last September, will incorporate leisure facilities, including a new pavilion, a flood-lit multi-use games area, grass pitches and a synthetic pitch and a play area.
The plans also make provision for car parking, lighting, planting, boundaries, new paving, kerbs, lighting and drop-off bays to the Tunnel.
The works are on a site covering some 11 hectares, located to the north west of the Dublin to Belfast railway line, which is bordered by Park Road, Garvaghy Road and Obins Street.
The project will entail the full refurbishment and remodelling of People’s Park, Portadown to provide an enhanced facility.
When advertised, key elements also included sand carpet pitches; early years and junior play areas; car park/bus park; outdoor fitness area; works to the riverbank and bridges over the river; a new lake and a natural amphi-theatre.
The pavilion would cover an area of 400 sq metres, and others features given are themed gardens, street furniture, electrical installations – lighting, CCTV, site Wi-Fi – and distribution paths.
The works will also include the provision of public realm improvement works to the tunnel area leading to Portadown town centre from the park entrance on Park Road.
The works will be undertaken and specified to match the styles previously established as part of the environmental improvement scheme completed in Portadown last year.
The public realm plans would include the replacement of the paving to footpaths and roads at the Park Road junction, the upgrade of street lighting through the tunnel, the realignment of the entrance and approaches to the tunnel, redecoration of the existing railway bridges, cleaning, pointing and sealing of natural stone walling, and a general cosmetic and decorative improvement to the tunnel area as a whole.
The scheme would be expected to take 16 months to complete.
