Council commits to new signs in community garden

CORK City Council has committed to erecting new signage at St Luke’s Community Garden, in a move that one councillor said will “give it a sense of location”.

Green party councillor Oliver Moran had penned a motion calling on Cork City Council to improve the entrance to the garden, from the Ballyhooly Rd and Windsor Cottages, so that it is more clearly signposted and accessible by pedestrians and work vehicles.

Responding, Director of Services at City Council’s Roads and Operations Directorate David Joyce said that the council has provided assistance to the garden since its inception and continues to do so as the garden develops.

“The group is currently procuring signage for the community garden, and parks and recreation have committed to install it once they receive it,” he said.

On the issue of access, Mr Joyce said that any changes to the entrance will — in all likelihood — require a design, planning permission, and significant costs.

“If Council wishes this project to proceed to consultation and design stage, perhaps some of the 2024 LAC Budget provision could be allocated to fund same,” he added.

Speaking to The Echo, Cllr Moran noted how the garden has been transformed by the community, from a neglected piece of land into a vibrant community space.

“What’s driven that is the ambition and vision of the community around it. As a result the garden is very open, very creative, and a very authentic to the place.

“A next step will be to properly identify the garden with signage, to give it a definite sense of location. Something that’s beautiful about the park is seeing it evolve naturally. I hope that we will look back in another five years and see something that has developed over time, meeting a demand that’s there for accessible local green spaces,” he said.