Council to consider allocating €1.5m to Dún Laoghaire 'urban beach' project

A €1.5 MILLION allocation for an “urban beach” project at Dún Laoghaire Harbour in Dublin will be considered by councillors at a meeting tomorrow.

If approved, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council will provide the money to the semi-State Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company to develop what will be a swimming area with facilities similar to those once delivered by the derelict Dún Laoghaire baths.

The proposed diversion of the funds makes it less likely that Dún Laoghaire baths, built in 1843, will be redeveloped in the medium term.

The proposed urban beach project is part of the Dún Laoghaire Harbour master plan, which was put out on public display last summer.

The €230 million plan includes a “diaspora museum” on the Carlisle pier, retail units and 300 apartments on St Michael’s pier and a new marina, as well as the open-air swimming pool/urban beach. A new berthing facility is also planned to accommodate a cruise liner. The harbour company had said the master plan was a long-term vision for the harbour and would be developed in phases.

At tomorrow night’s council meeting, chief executive of the harbour company Gerry Dunne will outline details of the urban beach project, described as a badeschiff (a floating swimming pool) to councillors.

In a report in advance of the meeting, county manager Owen Keegan said he would be recommending the council formally agrees to allocate up to €1.5 million towards the cost of the project subject to conditions.

The conditions, “which will be negotiated separately between council management and the harbour company”, will include a requirement that valid planning permission is obtained for the development and that the council’s financial exposure is capped at 50 per cent of the capital cost or €1.5 million, whichever is the lesser.

The proposed operating arrangements, including opening hours and “charging regime” would also have to be acceptable to the council, Mr Keegan said, and the facility would have to be operated for an agreed minimum number of years.

A €20 million plan for Dún Laoghaire baths, only a few hundred yards from the harbour, was presented to councillors in October 2010. Since then, little has happened to progress the redevelopment, although in recent weeks, the baths were painted with free paint as part of the Dulux “Let’s Colour Project”.