Will Balbriggan finally get a swimming pool?
Campaign for a Public Swimming Pool for Balbriggan and Surrounding Areas
Balbriggan.net has received notice that local man Antony O' Flaherty has organised a Public Meeting next week in the Milestone, as part of a campaign that he started back in January. The campaign began with a Facebook group Campaign for a Public Swimming Pool for Balbriggan and Surrounding Areas which now has over 2000 members.
For well over 30 years now I have been hearing talk about a pool for Balbriggan, there has been may promises, false starts and wild goose chases during this period.
In 2014 Cllr Tom O’Leary announces €6 million for a swimming pool as part of a €17 Million package for Balbriggan. “Cllr Tom O'Leary delivers €17Million Investment to Balbriggan”
Never happened!
At this time Balbriggan Rugby Club announced that following 8 years of red tape and false starts a tendering process was to begin. “Balbriggan swimming pool takes first steps in tendering process – Fingal Independent April 2014”
This process has now been abandoned due to various reasons.
In early February Cllr Malachy Quinn had a response from Fingal County Council to his
motion regarding the provision of a public swimming pool.
Some of the Fingal County Council response was as follows:
“As outlined at the December Area Committee meeting the Council is currently working with a procurement specialist to develop a tender to engage a consultant to carry out a feasibility study on the provision of a Multi-Use Recreational Facility including the viability of otherwise of a public swimming pool for Swords and the area north of Swords including Balbriggan and its hinterland.”
Will this satisfy the demand of Balbriggan people for their own pool?
Public Meeting
Currently there is a lively debate on “Campaign for a Public Swimming Pool for Balbriggan and Surrounding Areas” as to what facilities are both required and feasible. Lots of great ideas and preferences being debated. Ideas like putting something on Bridge St and getting rid of the derelict old De Bruns Building.
Personally, I would love to see a swimming pool and leisure facilities in Balbriggan and I would think an ideal location would be to see the Old Balbriggan Shopping centre utilised. We have a vibrant and busy hotel and a leisure centre would help drive tourism and be a boost to the local economy. A public private partnership is the way to go, a development that will be profitable for investors or private business persons that will also have a public use for the community can be the way to get this done.
I hope the public meeting is a success and from it a realistic campaign can begin with everyone’s views taken on boards and a good plan put in place that will finally deliver a swimming pool for Balbriggan that will please everybody.
Campaign for a skate park in Balbriggan is a tremendous success, well organised and in a short space of time have been able to deliver a new Skatepark for Balbriggan. This project has recently gone to tender and is hoped work is to begin late this summer. Concerned residents and young people coming together and getting the job done.
What needs to come from this weeks meeting is a strong committee of people from every aspect of the community to include business people, politicians, activists and members of the public that can work together and draw up a property strategy to campaign, plan and fund a swimming pool.
Please make the time to come to the meeting on Tuesday night and make your views known.
Click Here to see our online poll at Balbriggan Network
CAMPAIGN FOR A PUBLIC SWIMMING POOL IN BALBRIGGAN
PUBLIC MEETING
TUESDAY 6TH MARCH 2018 AT 8 PM
MILESTONE PUB,
DROGHEDA STREET,
BALBRIGGAN
INVITED SPEAKERS:
ALL FINGAL T.D.S AND SENATORS
ALL BALBRIGGAN COUNCILLORS
COMMITTEE MEMBERS FROM THE CAMPAIGN, LOCAL ACTIVISTS & MORE