A WILDFLOWER garden and viewing platform overlooking the estuary in Leap are just two features of a proposed community project that has received €85,000 in grant support.
Leap and Glandore Community Council have been working on the project for a number of years after purchasing the one and a half-acre site from the Sacred Heart Missionaries at Myross Wood in 2018.
Another local organisation, the Leap Scarecrow Festival, rowed in with money it had raised, and, so far, €25,000 has been spent on acquiring and completing some of the groundwork on the site.
Some of the €85,000 from the department of community and rural development will be used for the planting of native species and to create a recreational seating area.
Information stands about the estuary’s proud transportation history and its rich birdlife are also part of the plans. Planning permission for the as yet to be named public park was granted last year, community council member, Rita Ryan, told The Southern Star.The redevelopment of the head of the bay was a long-held ambition locally, and now the community council has the means to achieve just that.
‘The vantage point was always a popular spot, but when the amenity is complete it’s going to be a stunning place where people can picnic and relax.’
