Work at Dún Laoghaire Baths to begin as contract finally signed

Work on the re-development of Dún Laoghaire’s derelict baths site is to begin as soon as possible. Contracts were formally signed on the 10th April by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council. The planned programme of works was initially expected to cost €2.5 million but the cost is expected to substantially higher given additional engineering works required to secure the road and retaining walls between the DART line and the site.

The new Dún Laoghaire Baths, which has been designed by dlr Architects' Department (details here), will see a new public café linked to an outdoor terrace with views over the Bay, along with studio workspaces for artists and new life guard facilities. New public toilet facilities at street level will be fully accessible for the mobility impaired and a new jetty and changing areas will provide access to the water's edge for swimmers and landing points for canoes, kayaks and other water sports equipment.

The development will take approximately 22 months to complete and will open to the public in the spring of 2020. The new Dún Laoghaire Baths will be a long-term, public amenity for the area and county. It will provide not only a connection between Newtownsmith and the People's Park, but will also bring link the town of Dún Laoghaire with its seafront. The project will breathe new life into the seafront and will attract more visitors to Dún Laoghaire town.

Link to DLRCC website here.

Title problems may stop Dún Laoghaire baths project

LEGAL IMPEDIMENTS contained in the leases and titles on land in Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin, could make the planned redevelopment of the public baths there impossible, according to a local councillor.

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has already spent €270,000 on consultancy fees to develop plans for the baths, but leases and titles dating back to the early 1900s may prevent some developments on the site. Dún Laoghaire public baths had been the subject of controversial development proposals, which were rejected by councillors in 2006 because of strong local opposition.

Two outline plans covering the area from the East Pier to Sandycove including the site of the baths, were developed for the council by consultants Royal Haskoning. The plans were put out to public consultation in the autumn. “Concept A” costing up to €129 million to develop, involves a lagoon beach, a pedestrian bridge, an aquatic play area on the old public baths site and a civic space with underground car park of up to 500 spaces.

“Concept B” would cost €92 million and involves a new promenade and sandy beach from the East Pier to the Newtownsmith section, as well as a water sports centre in Sandycove Park.

The results of the public consultation process will be presented at a council meeting this evening.

Documents already circulated to councillors showed land included in the plans is subdivided into five plots, with five separate and differing titles. There are also differing and various rights following the five titles. And not all of the titles are owned by the council.

The land on which the baths itself is built is held in grant since 1909, originally from the British crown and includes a condition requiring the permission of the owner before any development is carried out. Legal impediments and restrictions included in the titles were numerous and significant and could make some development impossible, according to Green Party councillor Gene Feighery. “Until the freehold and leasehold title is sorted out, there can be no reality to these proposals,” she said.

Local councillors are today also to consider a report showing 4,620 people are on a waiting list for affordable homes in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. The council expects to provide 571 affordable homes between now and 2010.

Irish Times

www.buckplanning.ie

Dun Laoghaire baths plan 'a waste of money'

COUNCIL officials in charge of the controversial redevelopment plans for the Dun Laoghaire Baths in south Dublin have been accused of wasting public money on the project before securing guarantees that substantial development is even possible.

It has been claimed that any redevelopment at the seafront area in Dun Laoghaire could run into problems as there are significant "restrictions" attached to leases covering the area.

The revelation has caused disquiet amongst local politicians who claim management at Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council have spent thousands of euro of tax payers' money on both consultancy fees and the marketing of two proposed developments for the seafront area.

Both of these schemes – which involve a major rejuvenation of the seafront area and the now defunct public baths – are in public consultation phase. Plans for a major development on the coastline sparked local objections which reached fever pitch in 2005 with public marches and demonstrations.

The leases on the shoreline are held by the Department of the Marine, which entered into discussions with council officials to amend the paperwork in 2001, to pave the way for future works.

However, the Sunday Tribune has learned that these discussions were never finalised and restrictions on development remain in place.

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council confirmed it took part in "negotiations with the relevant government departments but the negotiations were not concluded".

The council also confirmed that the two schemes proposed for the seafront now undergoing public consultation "have not been examined in light of these old leases as no decision has been made by the council at this stage to proceed with any scheme".

However, it would not shed light on the nature of the restrictions and said it was not possible to estimate the money spent on planning and promoting the two schemes.

"The council is not in a position to give an estimate as work is ongoing and final invoices have not been submitted," said Bernie Gilligan, senior executive officer at the economic development and planning department. However, while confirming that the "restrictions" on the leases have not yet been addressed despite discussions with government seven years ago, Gilligan said: "We are confident that any difficulties associated with these restrictions can be overcome".

Over 1,000 submissions have been received in relation to the two proposed developments and a report on the consultation process is expected by the end of the year. At that stage, the council's elected members will decide the future of the project. However, the council's spending public money on producing the concepts before ensuring the lease restrictions were amended has proved controversial.

"I think it's a bad way to handle public money and people have told the council they don't want this fantastic 'Disneyfication' of the sea front," said local Green councillor Gene Feighery.

Sunday Tribune

www.buckplanning.ie