Exercise facilities: A unique new fitness centre for children - believed to be one of the first of its type in the country - is being planned for a Galway city business park.
The new recreational fitness activity centre at Briarhill will provide activity equipment fitted with sensors to monitor the child's performance and fitness level.
Permission is being sought to convert a warehouse in the Briarhill Business Park into an activity centre, creche, coffee shop as well as office and toilets.
A decision is expected on the application next month and the developers are confident that they will get the go-ahead.
The local developers of the facility, Rita Hamilton, her husband, Aidan Rafferty, and Patricia Faherty have spent over two years researching the project and have designed a lot of the equipment which is being manufactured in the UK.
"It was due to the growing obesity problem among children that we came up with this idea," said Ms Hamilton.
"We met Health Minister Mary Harney who was very interested in the proposal and she indicated that the Government would endorse it."
Having researched schools all over Galway, they found there was a great need for exercise facilities for children aged between six and 13 years old.
Ms Hamilton said: "It's not going to be a children's run-around place, it's completely structured exercise with every piece of equipment working out a different part of the body, but it's also fun."
The fitness centre is to be divided into a number of different zones.
The sports zone will have facilities for ball sports, basketball, soccer, football, netball, etc.
All of the activities will have a sensor control to monitor performance.
It is also proposed to provide plasma screens with coaching techniques.
Two play areas will consist of a climbing wall, cycling machines, dance mats, jumping area, minor obstacle course, lighting targets, etc.
A ladies work-out area is also being provided so that mothers can exercise while their children are working out.
The centre will employ two full-time and five part-time staff and will operate from 7am to 7.30pm in the winter and 9pm in the summer, with a creche running from 7am to 6pm.
The peak times will be at weekends and during the week in the late afternoon from 4pm when schools close.
The operators are to provide a transport service which will collect children from designated parts of the city.
