COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF LUCAN / PALMERSTOWN / NORTH CLONDALKIN AREA COMMITTEE
Tuesday, June 28, 2022
MOTION NO. 12
MOTION: Councillor G. O'Connell
That this committee calls on the Chief Executive to adopt a more pro-active role in relation to the restoration of the Silver Bridge at Palmerstown and that contact be made with Fingal County Council with a view to establishing a joint working group involving elected members and officials from both Counties to engage in joint planning to bring the bridge into use for pedestrians and cyclists.
REPORT:
Members received a presentation by CORA Consulting Engineers at the May 2020 ACM where the findings of a feasibility study on the Silverbridge at Palmerstown was given.
The presentation highlighted that Fingal County Council is the custodian of the Silverbridge in Palmerstown.
The presentation also highlighted that the restoration and future use of the bridge is a matter for Fingal County Council. Members will be aware that the restoration and future use of the bridge is a matter for Fingal County Council having regard to health and safety, financial outlay, and ultimate use whilst having regard to significant constraints, in terms of structural constraints, landownership and finance.
The conclusion of the presentation was that there was no coherent realisable project into which the bridge could be placed either now or in the near or mid term future from either local authority`s point of view.
Notwithstanding the unsuitability of the bridge for public access and use, South Dublin County Council has been in regular contact with Fingal County Council with regard to seeking updates on conservation proposals. These updates have been communicated to Members. For convenience, these updates are presented below:
In early 2021 Fingal Co Co made an application to the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, for grant assistance under Stream 2 of the Historic Structures Fund 2021. The application was for essential conservation works to protect the Guinness’ Silver’ Bridge which is in Fingal Co Co ownership. The proposed works were intended to address stability and will be generally confined to the metal bridge structure and the stone abutment on the northern side.
The application was successful and total grant funding of €140,000 had been offered with remaining funding from Fingal County Council as the owner of the structure.
Subsequently Fingal County Council appointed an integrated conservation design team to develop tender package and manage the conservation of the bridge structure. A contractor was appointed for enabling works, to assist the team with vegetation clearance on the stone abutments and access for inspections.
The enabling works including vegetation removal was completed in January which has allowed the design team complete their inspections.
Fingal County Council has engaged a design team to prepare a specification and document package for the repair and conservation of the Guinness Bridge.
Subsequent to the above information, Fingal County Council has recently provided the following update; ‘A tender has been issued with a return date of the 24th June 2022. It is planned that the work will commence in Q3 2022 after evaluation and appointment of a contractor. The works will consist of the repair and cleaning of the Stone abutments and associated features to the bridge, repair of the metal members and bearings of the bridge, replacement of the bridge deck beam, shot blasting of the existing paintwork, and reapplication of paint and all associated siteworks. Any proposals related to access are outside the scope of this project.’
These works will conserve and protect the bridge structure as a landscape feature.
Considering that public access onto the bridge structure is not currently proposed, and that SDCC receives regular updates from Fingal County Council on it’s work in relation to the bridge it is not envisaged to bring about a joint working group to address these matters at this time.