Councillors back urban beach plan

COUNCILLORS in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown who voted to set aside

?¬1.5 million to progress a plan for an urban beach in conjunction with the Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company (DLHC) have defended the move.

At the last monthly meeting of the local authority on Monday, July 2 councillors voted to approve funding of

?¬1.5 million for the urban beach proposal known as the Badeschiff, which the council intends to deliver in conjunction with the DLHC.

In April, Gerry Dunne, the CEO of the DLHC, told councillors they had a new proposal that would involve the creation of an urban beach with heated swimming pools on a barge in the harbour at the East Pier.

The proposal would involve the council and the harbour company each investing

?¬1.5 million into the project, which would be delivered by the summer of 2013. The Badeschiff concept is based on an existing barge with an outdoor swimming pool that is moored in the centre of Berlin.

In a report at the meeting last week, County Manager Owen Keegan recommended that councillors vote to accept his recommendation to make budgetary provision for the

?¬1.5 million the council would need to meet its share of the cost in the Badeschiff proposal.

He said the

?¬1.5 million needed for the Badeschiff proposal would be

“significantly lower

? than the cost of providing a swimming pool at the Baths site.

A majority of 18 councillors voted to accept the manager’s proposal and five voted against.

In October 2010, councillors approved proposals for a

?¬20 million revamp of the derelict Baths site.

At the meeting last week Mr Keegan reiterated the council’s commitment to carrying out retention and full refurbishment of the existing Baths Pavilion.

He said the council was currently seeking to clarify the appropriate

“planning mechanism

? for the proposed development and to resolve issues related to the ownership of the site.

The works would involve the construction of a new jetty and an area for changing to provide enhanced access to the water for swimmers. However, the proposals do not contain plans for a swimming pool, which People Before Profit have long campaigned for.

Following the meeting last week Cllr Melisa Halpin (PBP)said:

“It is an outrage that we will be handing e1.5 million over to the Harbour Company to develop an urban beach for which we have seen no plans and have no real idea of how it will work and how long it will be there for.

Cllr Stephen Fitzpatrick (Lab) said he supported the County Manager’s recommendation because the council would be able to deliver a swimming pool at a minimal cost.

“The county manager has quite clearly articulated that at present the money isn’t there for a swimming facility at the Dun Laoghaire Baths,

? he said.

“That is not to say that in the future there wouldn’t be a swimming facility but you could be talking about money in the tens of millions to provide that whereas you are talking about e1.5 million to put in a floating swimming pool on the East Pier.

?

Cllr Patricia Stewart (FG) said she had voted for the Badeschiff plan as she felt it would be the quickest way of delivering an outdoor swimming facility for the lowest possible cost.

“Most of us felt that since we have committed to this

?¬1.5 million in our capital programme that it would be better to deliver a swimming facility by next summer for people instead of spending many millions more on the coastal defences that are required in the bigger Baths plan.

“And then, in the long term when the money is there to do this huge programme on the baths we could go ahead with it.

?

In a statement the council said:

“The proposed capital expenditure [on the Badeschiff] is

?¬3 million, and this will be funded on a 50/50 basis between Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company and Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

“A planning application will be prepared and submitted by the Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company in the next two months. On the basis that the planning, funding and construction elements can be progressed the facility could be ready for late summer 2013.

?

In a further statement, County Manager Owen Keegan said that the proposed Badeschiff urban beach and heated swimming pool project did not impact on the council’s commitment to provide a public swimming amenity at the Dún Laoghaire Baths site.

“We fully intend to continue with our proposed works to the Baths site, which includes the provision of a public swimming amenity providing access to the water at all stages of the tide,

? he stated.

He added that the amenity would be lifeguarded. The manager also confirmed that the proposed works to the Baths site are currently the subject of a review to determine whether an Environmental Impact Statement is required by An Bord Pleanála and that consent to proceed has been sought from the Minister of Finance.