COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF LUCAN/PALMERSTOWN/FONTHILL AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

MOTION NO. 11

MOTION: Councillor E. O'Brien

To ask the Chief Executive to invite the various sports clubs in the electoral area using pitches in the area to discuss the impact of the Council's recently unveiled Sports Pitches Strategy to inform these clubs and prepare them for future usage of pitches.

REPORT:

The Sports Pitch Strategy has just been developed and allows the Council to assess need and plan for future provision. It is an analysis of supply and demand for playing pitches (grass and artificial); it plans for future need and makes recommendations regarding pitch demand, capacity and future requirements. The assessment focused on pitches used by the following sports: Soccer, GAA, Rugby Union, Hockey, Cricket, Athletics.

The Strategy showed population growth predicted in all areas across the county, an increase in generation of teams and recommends that the council's sports pitch provision and management of same grow and adapt to meet current and future demand.

The main recommendations within the sports pitch strategy includes the following:

• Upgrade of existing grass pitches or provision of new grass pitches and facilites.
• Provision of Artificial Grass Pitches.
• Review of maintenance regimes to maximise usage.
• Review of allocation policy.

There are a number of actions that arise from the completion of the strategy; with one of the early stage actions in the Sports Pitch Strategy to review the allocation policy. Once the review is complete information meetings will be held to inform clubs and other stakeholders of any proposed changes to the existing arrangements. In addition SDCC are in the early stages of developing an on-line allocation and booking system; which will delivered on a phased basis. In advance of the roll out of same; meetings with clubs will be arranged with regard to this system as well.