DONEGAL County Council is to explore the possibility of developing a wildlife pond within Ballymacool Park.
The local authority said it would look at the proposal following the passing of a motion by elected members.
Councillor Gerry McMonagle asked that Letterkenny and Milford Municipal District support him in calling for the eco-pond.
“Ballymacool is a lovely big park and it is well used,” Councillor McMonagle said.
“You have a massive green area which is a bit of waste of space and I’m sure there is a big expense in us having to cut regularly.
“With climate change I’m proposing that we create a pond there. I think we would get a water source nearby and it would help local schools who could learn from the fish, the insects, the bees that would use it. A lot of wildlife travels through the park so it could be used by different animals.
“It would also increase the appeal of the park and I would like the council to do a feasibility study. Let’s look at it and see if we can improve the parks we have.”
Seconding Councillor McMonagle’s motion, Councillor Jimmy Kavanagh agreed the idea would make use of an area that “takes a lot of maintenance”.
Donegal County Council’s Senior Executive Engineer David McIlwaine said he would be happy to have a discussion with the park’s gardener about the proposal.
“An initial assessment can be carried out on the viability of the proposal,” he said.
“This will involve considering possible options for funding of a feasibility study, identifying suitable locations, considering possible sources of natural water and considering safety concerns.”
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere
SUBSCRIBE TO CURRENT EDITION TODAY
and get access to our archive editions dating back to 2007(CLICK ON THE TITLE BELOW TO SUBSCRIBE)