COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF LUCAN / PALMERSTOWN / NORTH CLONDALKIN AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, September 24, 2024

MOTION NO. 12

MOTION: Councillor P. Gogarty

That the Chief Executive, given the huge demand that exists locally and the lack of sufficient future allocation in SDZs such as Clonburris, actively seeks to find space for another full size GAA pitch within Griffeen Valley Park, or immediately adjacent, given the continued growth of local clubs at juvenile level such as Na Gael Óga and Lucan Sarsfields.

REPORT:

Recognising the challenges in the provision of sports pitches; South Dublin County Council commissioned a Sport Pitch Strategy (SPS) in 2020 to provide the Council with a clear evidence base and set of recommendations for future outdoor sports facility development across the district. A SPS is a strategic assessment that provides an up-to-date analysis of supply and demand for playing pitches (grass and artificial) in the local authority. The strategy and the evidence upon which it is based is delivered using insight from specific Governing Bodies of Sport, national guidance and local stakeholder input. The strategy focused on the following sports: Soccer, GAA, Rugby Union, Hockey, Cricket and Athletics. Meeting pitch demand requires actions on a number of fronts and the SPS defined 5 main actions for the council to deliver; the actions are set out below as follows:

Increase maintenance of existing pitches to improve match play equivalents:
Following adoption of the strategy the Council has provided additional revenue budget to support these actions. The annual pitch maintenance budget 2024 is €409,000 which covers regular fortnightly maintenance and includes a sum of €150,000 for engagement of specialist contractors to do minor drainage improvements as well as goal mouth repairs and replacement of goal posts. SDCC manage regular grass cutting of pitches by direct labour. A sum of €250,000 has also been provided in 2024 which will facilitate an intensive upgrade of compacted, waterlogged pitches.

The Council’s Public Realm Section has in the past 5 to 7 years installed drainage systems on pitches in Tymon Park (4), Jobstown Park (1), Butler McGee Park (1), Clondalkin Park (1) and Ballymount Park (1). These schemes have been funded through a combination of sports capital funding as well as council own capital and revenue resources, with other funding where available.
A further 4 pitches have received sports capital funding, and work on 2 of these pitches; at Glenaulin and Griffeen has commenced in Sept 2024. In addition to these; another 10 pitches have been included in the current sports capital funding application and a decision is awaited on these. The installation of such drainage schemes will improve waterlogging and playability issues on those pitches which require this level of intervention.

Develop a revised allocation policy; including pitch sharing and multipurpose use of facilities where appropriate:
In 2021, the Council introduced a new online Pitch Allocation and Booking system which went live for the 2021/2022 playing season. The South Dublin County Council’s Annual Allocation of Pitches/Sporting Facilities – Policy and Conditions can be found at www.sdcc.ie/bookapitch. Once clubs are allocated pitches via the online system they are given access to “Pitch Manager” software which enables the club to manage and record all activity on the pitches allocated to them.
The information allows SDCC gather valuable key data to better manage and maintain pitches against a scenario of growing demand. It will also help identity any pitches that are underused and provide more availability for pitch sharing etc.

Reserve ability to change the configuration of pitches:
This ability is built into the allocation policies, and pitches are swapped out as required/if appropriate. Flexibility in configuration/layout is provided as much as possible at the planning and design stage to future proof pitches to allow for changes as required.

Provide new grass pitches to meet capacity issues:
New grass pitches are planned and are under delivery/completed as set out below:
Dodder Valley Mt Carmel: (1 athletics track, 1 soccer pitch: Construction completed)
Adamstown SDZ parks: (1 cricket pitch complete at Airlie, 1 GAA-sized pitch complete at Tandy’s Lane Park)
Clonburris SDZ parks (5 grass soccer pitches planned)
Kiltipper Park (1 GAA sized pitch, 2 soccer pitches)
Fortunestown area (2 pitches via development- built. Additional pitch included in 2023 P8 for Carrigmore Park)
Firhouse/Ballycullen area (1 GAA sized pitch-provided via development)
Rathcoole park: provision of a larger GAA sized pitch in conjunction with IW works-complete.
Rathcoole area in conjunction with GAA TBC.
Newcastle LAP area (1 small sized pitch-provided via development-built)

Provide Artificial Grass Pitches to augment long term capacity and meet training need:
At present; there is a council approved and funded 3G Artificial Grass Pitch Programme, based on the recommendations from the SPS and is agreed and underway. 2 No. artificial grass pitches have been delivered (1 GAA sized pitch at Airlie Park and 1 soccer sized pitch at Sean Walsh Park) as part of this programme of delivery, the other 3 no. required locations are in the west and east of the county and a number of new 3G pitches at the new Strategic Development Zone area at Clonburris.

Clonburris SDZ contains 3 significant areas of open space including a Canal Park, Griffeen Valley Park extension and Na Cluainte Park. A Parks and Landscaping Strategy (PLS) has been agreed as per the requirements of the Clonburris Phasing Programme and this report provides high level information on the future plans for these parks and the wider open space network. This plan is available at the following link Parks-and-Landscape-Strategy.pdf (clonburris.ie)

A Design Team is developing a detailed planning application and delivery strategy for these Parks. This work will advance the detail included in the agreed Parks and Landscape Strategy and will set the exact quantum and location for future pitches and community spaces. URDF funding has been earmarked to deliver these parks and pitches but this funding is subject to a final planning application approval and business case.   

In terms of pitches; the Parks and Landscape Strategy, as submitted by the Developers of the Clonburris SDZ, includes for the provision of 5 No. soccer sized pitches (natural grass) as set out above and 1 No. GAA sized / multi sport Artificial Grass Pitch and 1 No. soccer sized / multi-sport Artificial Grass Pitch within the SDZ area. 

The SPS defined future locations of additional floodlit artificial grass pitches, as it provides evidence based upon local team usage and future team generation rates that would be the predominant users of the facility. The SPS demonstrates that there is a need to provide AGP’s as a vital asset to the local community in terms of a training and match-play facility for clubs, teams and others. The delivery of the SPS is reviewed on a regular basis and implementation is reported and discussed at the relevant SPC. Artificial grass pitches can support far more matches and training sessions compared to regular grass pitches and the sports pitch strategy recommends the provision of 5 No. pitches across the county to allow for an even distribution and facilitate use county-wide as set out above.