COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF LUCAN AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

MOTION NO. 5

MOTION: Councillor W. Lavelle, Councillor V. Casserly

"That this Area Committee:

REAFFIRMS this Council’s commitment, contained in the 2006 Review of the Water Leisure Strategy, to provide a Public Swimming Pool Facility in Lucan;

EXPRESSES it disappointment with the recent decision of an Bord Pleanala to overrule the amendment to Adamstown SDZ planning scheme, made by the elected members of the Council, to require the earlier delivery of a PUBLIC pool in Adamstown or the Greater Lucan Area;

RECOGNISES that the Governments ‘Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme’, which previously provided funding for the development of new public swimming pools in Clondalkin & Tallaght allocated up to €3. 8million of funding for planned new pools (in non-RAPID areas);

ACKNOWLEDGES that, irrespective of whether Government funding is available or not, this Council will have to contribute a substantial investment towards the provision of a Public Swimming Pool Facility in Lucan;

Therefore AGREES to the following three actions, each aimed at seeking to progress a different option to secure delivery of a Public Swimming Pool Facility in Lucan, i.e. this Area Committee:

  1. CALLS on the Ministers for Public Expenditure & Sports to provide funding for a new ‘Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme as part of the planned new Public Capital Investment Programme 2016-2020; and further calls on the Ministers to examine the recommendation contained in the 2008 ‘Value for Money and Policy Review Report’ to bundle new pool projects in a public/private joint venture on a national basis so as to deliver value-for-money;
     
  2. Noting that the Rolling Capital Programme 2015-2017 provides for income of €10,665,000 from land disposals;

REQUESTS that the Chief Executive would make a formal written commitment to allocate any proceeds from all land disposals cumulatively exceeding €10,665,000, in the period 2015-2017, to be allocated for the provision of a Public Swimming Pool Facility in Lucan (with particular reference to any future land disposals in the Clonburris SDZ falling within the Lucan electoral area);

  1. Further noting the reply to question No. 8 at the January 2015 Council meeting which outlined the legislative basis by which local authorities and/or ‘off-the-book’ companies established by local authorities may borrow for the purposes of seeking to fund major capital projects in the sports and leisure area;

RESOLVES under Standing Order No. 71 to establish a specific ‘Sub-committee on Swimming Pool lending options’ to examine, with the support of officials of this Council, and report within three months on all options by which this Council (or a company under the auspices of the Council) could seek to borrow to fund or part-fund the provision of a commercial-operated Public Swimming Pool Facility in Lucan; and calls on the Chief Executive to fully support the work of the sub-committee."

REPORT: 

The Capital Programme 2015-2017 was agreed at the December Meeting of the Council and makes no provision for a swimming pool in Lucan. The Capital Programme is reviewed annually in conjunction with the preparation of the annual Revenue Budget. The delivery of the programme is predicated on the realisation of the revenue streams set out.

The Government’s Local Authority Swimming Pool Grant Scheme administered by The Department of Transport Tourism and Sports has been closed to new applications for a considerable period and the Council has no indication that the Government intends to re-open same. Grant assistance has been an integral part of the financing of the completed elements of the Water Leisure Strategy. Revenue from Development Contribution receipts has also declined in recent years. If the Government re-opened the Grant Scheme, the Council would still have a major difficulty in funding the balance. There would have to be certainty regarding the total funding of the project to support the submission of a grant application. In terms of levies and asset disposals proposals for expenditure of these funds are considered on a countywide basis having regard to priorities identified by the Council for funding and taking cognizance of the various stages of development of community infrastructure projects on a countywide basis at a particular time.

Borrowing to fund or part-fund the provision of a commercially operated Public Swimming Pool Facility in Lucan would also have financial implications for the Councils Revenue Budgets into the future. The financial prudence of proceeding without grant assistance which was €3.8m under the last programme would require serious consideration.The financial and operational challenges faced by the Council/South County Dublin Leisure Services in managing/maintaining the exiting water leisure facilities was reported to the Corporate Policy Group at its meeting on 11th November 2013 http://intranet/cmas/documentsview.aspx?id=41494”

 In the event of a sub-committee being established an official from Community Services Department will be nominated to assist and liaise with officials from other Departments as required. 

The Lucan Area Initiative Report was developed following a consultation process during late 2013 and presented to the members of the Lucan Area Committee on 28th January 2014.The exercise was conducted to gather baseline data from the Residents of Lucan about the perceived need for additional community facilities, particularly indoor space and involved a 3 phase consultation process: 

The main finding was the need for a Multi Purpose Community Facility to be constructed on a phased basis in a suitable location to accommodate a wide range of sporting and leisure activities in addition to an understanding that finance was limited and most groups supported the concept of shared facilities. 

If the motion is passed the terms of the motion will be forwarded to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and when received copies of their replies will be circulated to the Members.