boyle local area plan 2012 - 2018 - Roscommon County Council
boyle local area plan 2012 - 2018 - Roscommon County Council
boyle local area plan 2012 - 2018 - Roscommon County Council
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
PART II: DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR <strong>2012</strong> – <strong>2018</strong> & BEYOND Chapter 5: Recreation, Leisure & Tourism<br />
Policies for Integrated Tourism & Recreational<br />
Development<br />
Policy 33<br />
Provide for the sports and recreational needs of the LAP<br />
<strong>area</strong>, by upgrading and maintaining existing facilities<br />
and providing for new facilities as required. Facilities<br />
provided should be designed with flexibility in mind so<br />
that they are multifunctional and ensure maximum<br />
usability by a variety of groups and members of <strong>local</strong><br />
communities. Facilities should be widely accessible to<br />
ensure that sports and recreation may provide a forum<br />
for social inclusion and integration and the <strong>Council</strong> will<br />
work with sporting organisations and clubs to achieve<br />
widespread availability of facilities.<br />
Policy 34<br />
Facilitate and encourage the development of new tourist<br />
activities on appropriately zoned lands at Boyle<br />
Harbour, as part of an integrated tourism development<br />
to include a high quality harbour mixed use<br />
development providing appropriate leisure, recreational,<br />
open space and water based facilities and provide<br />
support for existing services and communities. In all<br />
cases development will be required to comply with the<br />
development management standards and key<br />
sustainable tourism principles as set out under the<br />
RCDP.<br />
Objective for Integrated Tourism & Recreational<br />
Development<br />
Objective 61<br />
Identify strategic locations where public open space and<br />
parks should be provided, so that they may be useable<br />
by a large proportion of the <strong>local</strong> community and so<br />
that they may facilitate the enjoyment of other<br />
amenities such as rivers, lakes, canal, picturesque<br />
landscapes, views or features of our natural heritage, or<br />
to retain <strong>area</strong>s of ecological interest and biodiversity<br />
value.<br />
Objective 62<br />
Seek to facilitate the provision of disabled persons<br />
fishing stands along the Boyle Canal at locations<br />
suitable for anglers with a disability or restricted<br />
mobility.<br />
‣ Walkways/Cycleways<br />
An important component of an integrated tourism<br />
strategy is sustainability and the use of more sustainable<br />
forms of transport. There are a number of<br />
walking/cycling routes as well as walking clubs<br />
throughout the <strong>County</strong>.<br />
Slí na Sláinte is a health promotion walking initiative<br />
which was introduced in 1996 and aimed at<br />
encouraging people of all ages and abilities to walk for<br />
pleasure and good health. There are four main Slí na<br />
Sláinte trails in <strong>County</strong> <strong>Roscommon</strong>. The Lough Key Slí<br />
na Sláinte is in close proximity to the Boyle LAP <strong>area</strong>.<br />
The Miners’ Way Historical Trail is a 110.5 mile long<br />
walking route, 39 miles of which are in <strong>County</strong><br />
<strong>Roscommon</strong>. The walk forms part of the Cospoir<br />
approved national network of long distance walking<br />
routes. The route is entitled the Miners Way/Historical<br />
Trail. The Miners Way denotes the fact that it covers<br />
the coal mining <strong>area</strong> of Arigna and Historical Trail as it<br />
follows the route taken by the Red Earl in the ninth<br />
Century.<br />
There is a need to recognise the importance of walking<br />
and cycling in <strong>County</strong> <strong>Roscommon</strong> from a <strong>local</strong> as well<br />
as tourism perspective. Walking is becoming an<br />
increasingly popular activity with holidaymakers and<br />
Ireland is one of the best countries in the world for<br />
walking holidays. There has never been a better time to<br />
experience walking in Ireland. The latest figures show<br />
that walking in Ireland is one of the top activities<br />
enjoyed by holidaymakers with over 1.6 million taking<br />
part during 2009. Research by Fáilte Ireland also<br />
shows that walking is extremely popular with both<br />
domestic holidaymakers (over 860,000 people) and<br />
overseas visitors (up to 800,000) enjoying the wide<br />
range of walking facilities around the country during<br />
the same period. There is huge potential for Boyle to<br />
really benefit from this increasingly popular activity<br />
and it should be promoted and marketed as such.<br />
Improvements need to be made to walking routes<br />
throughout the county and cycle paths need to be<br />
provided along public roads where possible. As<br />
mentioned in the infrastructure section of this <strong>plan</strong>,<br />
there are two types of cycleways;<br />
‣ those for the commuter where cyclists ride on the<br />
roadway and there may be no clear distinction<br />
between the roadway and “cycle path”; and,<br />
Boyle Local Area Plan <strong>2012</strong>-<strong>2018</strong> Page 48