Floating Water Park approved for Portumna

GALWAY COUNTY COUNCIL has granted planning permission for the creation of a floating water park in Portumna.
This good news means that locals and visitors to the area will have a new water amenity for the summer of 2023.
The Council granted planning permission to West Lake Aqua Park for “a floating adventure facility on Lough Derg.”
The Aqua Park will be an inflatable obstacle course consisting of floating pontoons anchored around 73 metres off the shore, and linked to the land by more pontoons. West Lake will be operational between May 1 and September 31 each year. This will be West Lake's second adventure centre. West Lake operates a similar facility at Killaloe, Clare.
“West Lake Aqua Park,” said the planning application, “is an inflatable aqua park over water with interchangeable features of varying difficulty levels to keep customers of all ages from six upwards entertained. Whether alone or in a group, climbing, sliding, jumping, rolling and running along the course, customers are sure to have a memorable experience. Under the watchful eye of our lifeguards on duty, customers work their way along the course with a session typically lasting an hour.” It's expected that the water park will support approximately 25 jobs when running. Letters of support from Portumna Chamber of Commerce and Waterways Ireland were submitted with the application. Both groups believe the park will be a valuable addition to the tourism offering in Portumna.
The park will be located at the Portumna swimming area. Other than the inflatable course, the developer also plans to install a visitor check in, and changing area.
There were nine public submissions made to Galway County Council about the development, raising concerns about parking, traffic, noise, impact on water quality, and overcrowding public facilities, and water safety.
Concerns were also raised by multiple submissions about how this will affect or take away from a popular swimming area on the lake. The council requested additional environmental information from the developer, after stating that the initial Natura Impact Statement did not adequately address potential impacts on bird species in the Lough Derg area. When planning permission was eventually granted there were seven standard conditions attached.