Councillors differ on inclusion of pool site in Stillorgan plan

THE inclusion of the Glenalbyn pool site in the Stillorgan Local Area Plan will not speed up its reopening, a local Independent councillor has claimed.

Last week, Dún Laoghaire Rathdown councillors voted in favour of including the pool site in the LAP for Stillorgan after a Fine Gael motion was proposed by Cllr Barry Saul and seconded by Cllr John Kennedy.

Welcoming the outcome of the vote, Cllr Kennedy said the local community would have been disappointed at the continued exclusion of the swimming pool site, which is council owned, from the plan.

He stated: “The site of the closed Glenalbyn pool is set to be included within the Local Area Plan as an exclave, meaning that it is not immediately surrounded by other territory in the plan area. However, the site is a very short distance from the core area of the plan given its focus on Stillorgan Village.

“It makes sense for the Glenalbyn site to be included as an exclave. I highlighted the prospect of the exclave option within a Local Area Plan by submitting a formal question about it at a recent county council meeting.”

Rosie Ní Laoghaire, Sinn Féin’s area representative, also welcomed the inclusion of the swimming pool site in the plan. 

However, local Independent councillor Deirdre Donnelly insisted that the addition of the swimming pool site to the Stillorgan LAP would not make any difference and said this had been confirmed to her by a senior council planner.

“The Glenalbyn Swimming Pool redevelopment is a DLR project which is being advanced as expeditiously as possible,” Cllr Donnelly told Southside People. 

She said councillors had been regularly briefed on the up-to-date position regarding the protracted negotiations between the council and Kilmacud Crokes GAA Club since the process started. 

She added: “Including the footprint of Kilmacud Crokes and Glenalbyn within the LAP boundary will not make any difference to the timelines and delivery of the 'new' swimming pool. The issue revolves simply and squarely around the DLR/Kilmacud Crokes negotiations and seeking an appropriate resolution that will satisfy both parties. The adoption of the Stillorgan LAP – either with or without Kilmacud Crokes/Glenalbyn in the mix – will not accelerate matters one iota.”