COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

south dublin county council crest

MEETING OF CLONDALKIN AREA COMMITTEE

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

QUESTION NO. 4

QUESTION: Councillor E. Ó Broin

To ask the Manager that the Council, in consultation with the Knockmitten Community Centre and Knockmitten United FC, explore the possibility of undertaking some remedial work on the surface of the basketball court beside the Community Centre as the area in question is in a very bad state of disrepair?

REPLY:

There is a basketball court and surrounding land in poor condition immediately adjacent to  Knockmitten Community Centre. The area is sometimes subject to anti-social behaviour.  The local football club uses a pitch also adjacent to the Community Centre and would like to see an all-weather facility installed on the current site of the disused basketball court.

Council officials have met with the football club and with the management of the community centre to discuss the issue. The idea was floated that if it were possible to construct an all-weather facility that it would be obviously be of great benefit to the football club which caters for a large number of teams at different age levels, and if it was managed by the Community Centre, it could provide a very useful income stream for the Centre.  As well as providing an income stream for the Centre and an invaluable facility for the football club, it would also eliminate a derelict area, which would improve the general environment and would also mean that there would be a cluster of facilities adjacent to and including the Community Centre itself.

Probably the best funding option is to prepare a joint proposal for submission to the next round of Sports Capital Grants. The Community Centre was unable to apply for any such funding under the 2014 Sports Capital Grant Scheme because it was not in a position to provide the matching funding required under the terms and conditions of the scheme. In the meanwhile, if a fundraising campaign is initiated as was suggested, the Council will do whatever it can to help and support the proposal.