Former Lord Mayor and Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy has called for further public lighting at the Japanese Gardens in Ballinlough. The popular park is daily frequented at all times of the day by walkers and joggers. Cllr McCarthy noted: “I have been contacted by several locals asking about the provision of public lighting especially during the dark winter evenings, where people wish to go for a walk after work in a safe environment. I am also conscious of the biodiversity of the park. I am for parkland to work with nature as much as possible, which is why it was great to have the insight of the Council’s parks department on the lighting proposal”.

The response to Cllr McCarthy from the City Council’s Park Department outlined that as a pre-requisite to the consideration of any proposal to provide public lighting, a bat survey will be required to ascertain if bats are roosting in the area and how they use the park for foraging. Currently, the Ballinlough Tidy Towns Committee is in the process of producing a Biodiversity Action Plan for the parks and other green areas in Ballinlough. A bat survey is being undertaken as part of this process and is likely to have implications for any public lighting design for the area.

Cllr McCarthy noted; “Once this report has been completed and reviewed a suitable design can be drawn up and costed in conjunction with the Council’s Lighting Department. Finances will then need to be sourced, as there is no provision for this proposal in the 2025 budget. I will be following up with the Parks Department again once the bat surveys are surveyed”.