Áit Urbanism + Landscape were appointed by Fingal County Council to lead the external design team to prepare a Park Development Masterplan for Bremore Regional Park on Balbriggan’s town coastline in North County Dublin. The core of the client brief was to engage and gain consensus with key local stakeholders on their current and future needs in order to develop a 20 Year Development Plan for Bremore Park. The aim of the plan is to realistically deliver a sustainable vision for Balbriggan’s growing and diverse population in terms of both active and passive recreation in a coastal and historic setting.
While being cognisant of the site’s constraints that presented themselves during the design and public consultation process, the landscape strategy sought to create a journey through this coastal landscape to guide the user through a series of experiences as they travel through the park.
The journey begins at Balbriggan Harbour to the south of the site. An upgraded ‘Coastal Promenade’ walk along the seaside brings the user through to the Coastal Park. The Coastal Park aims to facilitate a community orientated space combining the existing playground and bandstand; a proposed skateable feature, grassed play-mounds; a pavilion and a variety of areas to sit, look and experience the coastal setting of Balbriggan.
The eastern side of the site provides a more passive and natural experience along the coast which allows the user to journey by bike or by foot along the coastal way to the coastal edge. Mown pathways through large swathes of wildflower meadows and large copses of native tree planting that will provide new habitats for bird and insects while also framing the views from Bremore Castle to the Irish Sea.
The landscape strategy to the north-east of the park aims to build on the current agricultural characteristics; by providing a bucolic walkway that circumnavigates a central plain sown in wheat or barley and harvested annually. The recreational hub to the north-west of the park is an objective of the Fingal County Development Plan 2019-2020. The recreational hub aims to address the needs of local sporting clubs by providing for a number of sporting activities; these include athletics, all-weather football pitches with lighting; full size GAA pitch, basketball courts, tennis courts, car park access and changing facilities.
