Padel courts feasibility and restriction of building on Tyrell’s Land raised at council meeting
Plans to build padel courts on the Tyrells' Land were proposed at the last meeting of Portlaoise MD
THE feasibility of padel courts at Tyrells’ land, Portlaoise was raised at the latest meeting of Portlaoise municipal district, where Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald asked the area office to investigate developing padel courts there.
In response, a representative for the area office said: “Laois Co Council will investigate the feasibility of developing padel courts as part of an overall sports proposal to be pursued on Tyrell’s Land.” While Cllr Fitzgerald appreciated the response, she explained that the motion and response was under quite the shadow, given the response the council had received the day before in relation to proposal to develop housing on Tyrell’s Land; the short of it being that An Bord Pleanála had refused their plans outright, thereby putting the kibosh on any plans for development on Tyrell’s Land in the immediate term.
Discussing the padel courts first, Cllr Fitzgerald. said: “The padel courts are really very popular and I know a lot of people are asking me for them and, whatever else happens, I’d like them to be included, considering the bad news we got yesterday and I remember we had four very highly qualified planners hired to do all this planning.” Cllr Fitzgerald lamented how much money they had spent on drawing up plans for development at Tyrell’s Land, only for the announcement/decision by An Bord Pleanála to be so devastating at this late stage.
“This is a huge blow to our area, what has happened, and a huge amount of money was spent on it.” Cllr Fitzgerald called for a special meeting of Portlaoise MD to discuss what to do about the recent refusal by An Bord Pleanála.
Cllr John Joe Fennelly, who seconded the initial motion, supported this idea, along with a host of other councillors.
Cathaoirleach Barry Walsh agreed to work towards setting up such a meeting.
