SAVE OUR SEAFRONT
Save our Seafront is a community organisation established in 2002 based in Dun Laoghaire.
It is committed to protecting our coastal & marine environment and also to preserving our foreshore in public ownership for the access & enjoyment of the people of Ireland.
Submission
to
Urban Design Beach Team, Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company
on
Floating Pool & Urban Beach Project Proposal
By Email to consultation@dlharbour.ie.
While we understand that an actual Statutory Public Consultation must still take place in relation to this proposal, we wish now to comment as follows:
· Dun Laoghaire harbour is a stunning example of our built environment, of our heritage & history. As the harbour belongs to the people we are anxious to ensure that no inappropriate development takes place within it and that public access is not further restricted.
· We note that the proposed Floating Pool/Urban Beach is a temporary structure to be used for only 6 months of the year and the fact that no permanent structure is envisaged is at least to be welcomed.
· However, we would question the need for any Floating Pool/Urban Beach in Dun Laoghaire. Existing FP/UBs are all sited on rivers, in docks or industrial harbour areas in cities – they are in essence an attempt to provide beach amenities in cities which are not fortunate enough to have access to real seaside beaches. Dun Laoghaire however is situated on the sea with natural amenities on its doorstep & many safe natural beaches nearby. To locate an artificial pool/beach in our harbour therefore would seem to be counter intuitive.
· Furthermore there would be no guarantee that the nature of the facilities provided might not change over time if the simple pool/cafe didn’t prove popular/profitable. In any case, as use of the local natural beaches is free of charge it is unlikely that people would pay to use a floating pool in the long term.
· Save our Seafront have long been campaigning for a permanent heated indoor pool, open all year round, to be reinstated in the old Baths building when it is renovated. The present proposal for a temporary structure to operate for 6 months of the year would not fulfil this need and we feel that taxpayers’ Eur2.5m would be better spent by putting it towards a permanent indoor heated pool.
Thank you.
Save our Seafront saveourseafront@gmail.com
Chairperson: Richard Boyd Barrett TD.
Save our Seafront is a community organisation established in 2002 based in Dun Laoghaire.
It is committed to protecting our coastal & marine environment and also to preserving our foreshore in public ownership for the access & enjoyment of the people of Ireland.
Submission
to
Urban Design Beach Team, Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company
on
Floating Pool & Urban Beach Project Proposal
By Email to consultation@dlharbour.ie.
While we understand that an actual Statutory Public Consultation must still take place in relation to this proposal, we wish now to comment as follows:
· Dun Laoghaire harbour is a stunning example of our built environment, of our heritage & history. As the harbour belongs to the people we are anxious to ensure that no inappropriate development takes place within it and that public access is not further restricted.
· We note that the proposed Floating Pool/Urban Beach is a temporary structure to be used for only 6 months of the year and the fact that no permanent structure is envisaged is at least to be welcomed.
· However, we would question the need for any Floating Pool/Urban Beach in Dun Laoghaire. Existing FP/UBs are all sited on rivers, in docks or industrial harbour areas in cities – they are in essence an attempt to provide beach amenities in cities which are not fortunate enough to have access to real seaside beaches. Dun Laoghaire however is situated on the sea with natural amenities on its doorstep & many safe natural beaches nearby. To locate an artificial pool/beach in our harbour therefore would seem to be counter intuitive.
· Furthermore there would be no guarantee that the nature of the facilities provided might not change over time if the simple pool/cafe didn’t prove popular/profitable. In any case, as use of the local natural beaches is free of charge it is unlikely that people would pay to use a floating pool in the long term.
· Save our Seafront have long been campaigning for a permanent heated indoor pool, open all year round, to be reinstated in the old Baths building when it is renovated. The present proposal for a temporary structure to operate for 6 months of the year would not fulfil this need and we feel that taxpayers’ Eur2.5m would be better spent by putting it towards a permanent indoor heated pool.
Thank you.
Save our Seafront saveourseafront@gmail.com
Chairperson: Richard Boyd Barrett TD.
