Plans for North Kildare swimming pool closer as three potential sites identified

Three potential sites have been identified for a swimming pool for North Kildare, Kildare County Council has confirmed.

The update came as two councillors sought clarification on the progress of the pool at a recent meeting of Celbridge Leixlip Municipal District.

Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Paul Brooks (FG) said the reason he put forward his motion was “to see where we are in this process”.

He said he was “reasonably okay” with the council's response to his motion, and acknowledged there has been engagement with the parties involved.

He said that hopefully this would speed up the process and members would receive an update on the permanent swimming pool “very very soon”.

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Also speaking at the meeting, Cllr Nuala Killeen (SD) said delivery of a pool for Leixlip should be a priority.

With respect to her question on a temporary pool for Leixlip, Cllr Killeen pointed out that when one was previously introduced to North Kildare, it was “one of the most successful pools in Ireland.”

She was trying to get a timeline for the permanent pool, she said, but in the interim a temporary pool might be needed again.

Cllr Bernard Caldwell (FF) said that “unfortunately”, the council was on the verge of securing a site previously but the plans fell through.

“I do believe that a site is pretty pretty imminent”, he said.

A council official said that while he shared councillors' frustration, he could not speak of specific sites being identified.

“There is possibly one site that might involve acquisition”, he confirmed, “...and I do think we're very close to having a preferred site selected at this stage.”

The official confirmed a meeting is to be held with the Planning Department next week, with a report proposed to go to the senior management team before the end of the month, with a preferred site indicated.

On the question of a temporary pool for North Kildare, the official said that while previous funding came from LPT, “I don't have funding for this in my budget.”

He understood, he said, that there would be demand for a temporary pool, but this would only be a “diversion” away from the project to secure a permanent pool.

A report issued by the council stated that three potential sites have been identified for a swimming pool for North Kildare.

The report added: “When the site is selected and there is clarity around timeline it is fully intended that members will be briefed.

“A detailed feasibility study for the site that is selected will be commissioned and already the tender brief for this has commenced.

“To maintain momentum, this study will also seek to assess different construction options, and the related magnitude of costs and delivery programme, to move quickly to detailed design and planning.”