COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF TALLAGHT AREA COMMITTEE

Monday, June 28, 2021

QUESTION NO. 10

QUESTION: Councillor C. O'Connor

To ask the CEO to refer to a previous motion on the matter in the name of this member,passed in May 2020, and to confirm if he is giving any consideration to the issue of a Sports Hub for Kingswood,Tallaght, and will he make a statement ?

REPLY:

The Sports Pitch Strategy was adopted by SDCC in January 2020 and is available online; https://www.sdcc.ie/en/services/sport-and-recreation/playing-pitches/adopted-sports-pitch-strategy.pdf The provision of floodlit all weather pitches/artificial grass pitches (AGP) is addressed in this strategy. 

SDCC provides a number of pitches for clubs in the Kingswood area with 4 pitches in Ballymount Park with changing facilites available, 4 pitches in the Kilnamanagh Open spaces and a pitch at the Kingswood open space. The tennis courts, which are floodlit, are provided in Kingswood off Sylvan Drive, and are used by many local residents and a number of clubs. The Kingswood Community Centre on Sylvan Drive also provides various services and facilities to numerous sports clubs and groups.

The upgrade of the tennis courts at Kingswood Heights was included in the public realm improvement works programme for 2019 however due to communications received from the Kingswood Heights Residents Association (KHRA) the planned works were put on hold at the end of 2019 pending discussions with the residents group.  A meeting took place with the residents in January 2020 at which it was explained that the Council had no other proposals for development of the area in question other than to upgrade the tennis courts and that there was no other funding available. Agreement was reached that a joint visit would be arranged to inspect tennis courts which had been upgraded in a similar fashion to that proposed at Kingswood however this inspection never took place due to the onset of the pandemic.  The Council's position remains the same as before, it is intended that the commitment to upgrade the tennis courts will be honoured during the course of 2021.  The Council has no plans and no further funding to develop other types of sports facility there.