Push for progress on Delvin woodland walk as councillors call for €50,000 in extra funding

A long-delayed native woodland walk in Billistown, Delvin, may finally move forward after councillors raised concerns over repeated setbacks and a €50,000 funding shortfall for deer-proof fencing.

At the July meeting of the Municipal District of Mullingar Kinnegad, Cllr. David Jones called on Westmeath County Council to provide additional funding to cover the fencing costs, which were not included in the original grant approved for the project.

“This project has been constantly kicked down the road,” said Cllr. Jones. “When I first started with the council, I was told the trees would be planted in September. Then it was April. Now it’s October.”

The Environment Section confirmed that the required fencing will be tendered and erected in the third quarter of 2025, with the trees scheduled to be planted in October. Any final costs not covered by the Department of Agriculture’s grant will be referred to the council’s finance director “in the normal manner,” the council said.

However, Cllr. Jones expressed disappointment that the department had failed to fully fund the fencing, a requirement it had imposed, and urged the local authority to step in and provide the €50,000 gap.

“This is a project I’ve followed for years, even before I was elected,” he said. “There was also a native woodland playground and a car park in the initial plans, but they seem to have been phased out. Hopefully we’ll get them reintroduced.”

He emphasised that the amenity wouldn’t just benefit Delvin but would also attract visitors from across the county and support local tourism. “You can never have enough amenities,” he said. “It’ll be people from Mullingar, Athlone, Kinnegad. It will promote tourism.”

Cllr. Denis Leonard backed the motion, describing the project as a potential “jewel in the crown” of East Westmeath’s rural tourism offering.

“There’s a similar project planned in Rochfortbridge. Milltownpass already has one. We have the Boreen in Kinnegad. But this could be a key addition,” he said. “When you compare the cost of some active travel projects running into the millions, here’s something relatively modest that delivers real community and tourism value.”

Director of Services Deirdre Reilly acknowledged the delays, blaming “fragmented grant support” from the Department of Agriculture. However, she reassured councillors that the council had secured enough funding to complete the fencing and would proceed as planned.

“The project will get completed, although it had a slow start,” she said.