EXCLUSIVE - Visionary plan for East of Kilkenny city with primary care centre, walkways, pitch and other facilities for residents

The east of the city has received a major boost with plans unveiled for a state-of -the-art, primary care centre, along with badly needed new playing pitch, walkways, cycleway and an all-new green area.
Impressive and thoughtful plans for the badly needed one-stop community led, medical centre, which will be located between the Newpark Shopping Centre and St John's Senior primary school have been submitted to Kilkenny County Council.
The HSE led initiative will bring more comprehensive medical services to the area while taking the pressure on St Luke's hospital.i
A new playing pitch for the St John's Senior primary school is part of the plan. It was supposed to have been provided over 15 years ago by a developer but it never materialised. It will now be built.
And for years, the plot of land between the school and the shopping centre has been a hotbed for anti-social behaviour and littering. That will end if it succeeds. The sleek design and intelligent planning will bring proper and continual use of the land there to benefit the people living in the area.
The locally owned company which won the tender to build the centre from the HSE will clean up the site and provide improved access to the lake on the plot of land and will open up it up to be enjoyed by everyone. Professional landscapers have been retained.
The focal point of the community aspect of the design is the new walkway/cycleway which will be lit at night and will link the top of Ballybought Street with the Lakeside development where residents will see an improvement to amenities with a green space, 20 years after it was promised.