From Wasteland to Parkland. Kildare granted €4.5million to transform a landfill into a park
April 13th 2017
4.5 million euro has been made available to turn a 75-acre landfill site close to Naas, Co Kildare into a public park.
Kildare North T.D James Lawless confirmed State funds are now available for the remediation project at the Kerdiffstown landfill. Mr Lawless said that Kildare County Council has an ambitious plan to rehabilitate and develop the site.
The landfill site was closed after a major fire in 2011 caused serious environmental damage in the area.
Kildare County Council took control of the site in May 2015 after the company operating the site, Nephin Company Limited, was found to be in financial difficulties.
In 2015, Jenzoph Ltd. were fined €20 million after being found guilty of disposing of waste that caused environmental pollution between 2007 and 2008.
The company was also convicted of holding or disposing of waste which was likely to create environmental pollution over five years from 2003 to 2008. A multi-million euro clean up operation was initiated by the Environmental Protection Agency.
The move has strikes parallels with other projects across the country. Recently, the residents of Oliver Bond street gained a huge victory when Dublin City Council decided to transfer a site on Bridgefoot Street to the Parks Department of Dublin City Council.
The site had been left vacant since 2003 after apartments were demolished. Plans are now afoot to turn it into an inner-city park.
[x_author title=”About the Author”]