Bawnogues plan on public display

A lot of detailed planning has gone into the creation of a community centre and primary health care centre at Bawnogues, Kilcock, it was obvious at a public meeting to unveil the plans.

On Thursday 7 August, Cooney Architects unveiled drawings and reports prepared so far at a meeting organised by Kilcock Community Network (KCN) and the Integrated Services Project.

While no one will officially mention money, there was talk about a price tag of €3-4 million for an innovatively designed centre to cater for Kilcock’s fast growing community.

The building is approximately 1800 square meters but no final costs are available just yet. It is hoped that the project will move to planning stage between the middle and end of this month.

Val Mulligan, who works at NUI Maynooth, and has been involved in the planning for 16 years, prepared a draft plan on Kilcock facilities to go with the plans.

Dave Flanagan, a KCN committee member, said the co-ordination between the committee and the the Health Service Executive could save the community about a million euros because of shared infrastrucitre.

Fergus Fenlon, who works with the Kilcock section of the Integrated Services Project, has been helping to bring all the parties together.

Cooney Architect have specialised in sustainable community projects including buildings for business, schools, GAA club.

Mr. Flanagan, said that 75% of the current population of Kilcock live within 250m - a walk for most - of the proposed site.

Particulary close to Brayton Park and Scoil Ui Riada, it will have a 256 seater theatre.

The envisage a wide variety of uses, including exhibition.

Kilcock Celtic soccer club, which has about 400 members, and the athletics club, which has around 300 registered, will be locate nearby and the site will have access to the motorway link.

The plan is that a separate company will run the centre.