New swimming Pool confirmed to go ahead in Skerries

Following the adoption of the Fingal County Development Plan 2006-2011, Fingal County Council has confirmed its intention to press ahead with a mixed development, including a public swimming pool complex at the Ballast Pit site in Skerries. Later this year the Council will seek expressions of interest from companies who would like to design and construct a mixed development of residential units, car parking for the railway station, a new road and entrance to the railway station and a swimming pool complex.

The local authority also confirmed that it is envisaged that the developer’s profit from the residential units will subsidise the car parking and swimming pool. Importantly, the provision of this car parking will remove all current car parking by commuters on the roads and housing estates around Skerries Railway Station. The swimming pool proposed for this site will be to the standard of that already designed on behalf of the North East Fingal Swimming Pool Committee, which has been working towards delivering this vital community amenity for ten years.

Following receipt of “expressions of interest” Fingal County Council will initiate a tender process during 2007. Both of these processes will be carried out under the EU Procurement Procedures, as the overall cost of the project will exceed the thresholds required for advertising EU wide.

“After the successful tender has been chosen there will be the detailed design and planning permission stages before work can commence on site hopefully in 2007 for 2009 completion” said Senan Turnbull Director of Services for Community Recreation and Amenities with Fingal County Council.

Mr. Turnbull commended the long-term efforts of the pool committee and recognised that without their input, and the support of communities in Rush, Skerries, Balbriggan and Loughshinny, that this project would “never have remained on the table long enough for this approach to be adopted.”

The Director also recognised the support of the County Manager John Tierney and local elected representatives in ensuring the availability of Council and Government lands and funds for this first venture by the Council into pool provision.