Public Swimming Pool in Balbriggan / Balrothery?

Fingleberries

Hey all,

I seem to remember talk a while back about Swimming Pools being built in the Blabriggan area. One in a Gym / Sports complex near Hamlet Lane and a Public one (to be run by Fingal Co. Co.) out around Balrothery.

Has there been any word on this recently, or will it only resurface in April / May when a certain General Election buzz goes around the place?

Thanks

Moonbeam

That would be pretty cool.

Haven't heard anyhting about it though.

How bad is Gormanstown? a swimming pool in a boys boarding school just really doesn't appeal to me!

Fingleberries

Moonbeam wrote:

That would be pretty cool.

Haven't heard anyhting about it though.

How bad is Gormanstown? a swimming pool in a boys boarding school just really doesn't appeal to me!

Gormanstown used to be OK, haven't been in a while. But it's not open to the public all of the time (the young lads in the School get preference) then the opening times may not suit.

Or it may only be open for lessons and not a Free-Swim.

Bluetonic

FYI Planning Application Details F06A/1495

http://www.fingalcoco.ie/LivingInFingal/Planning/PlanningSearch/

The development was given planning permission on December 4th. They have begun to clear the site this week.

Full Development Description

A mixed use commercial and retail development at this site includes four buildings arranged along the fronting roadways, Blocks A, B, C, D enclosing a courtyard and a multi storey carpark. Block A is a 3 storey building fronting the Inner Relief Road with two street level retail units and training centre offices overhead. Block B is a 3 storey fronting the Inner Relief Road with two retail units and a sandwich bar/cafe at street level with overhead training centre offices, linked into Block C at third floor level. Block C is a 2,3 and 4 storey building accommodating a banking hall at street level and associated bank offices overhead on two floors at the corner of the Inner Relief Road and the estate road and 3 no. own door science and technology offices fronting the estate road. The building will have roof terraces/gardens at second and third floor levels along the estate road. Block D a 3 storey building accommodating commercial leisure centre, including swimming pool/wet area, changing rooms, gym, aerobics, treatment rooms, reception and foyer. A multi storey car park with ground level retail kiosk is located in the courtyard. Vehicular access is provided from the industrial estate road with access to the ground level car parking serving the bank and to the ramp serving the multi storey carpark. Permission is also sought for an ESB substation, gas meter room, switch rooms, bin storage, bicycle parking, all associated site development works and services

Bluetonic

Moonbeam wrote:

How bad is Gormanstown? a swimming pool in a boys boarding school just really doesn't appeal to me!

Gormo is both boys and girls, and has been for a good few years at this stage.

Fingleberries

Bluetonic wrote:

FYI Planning Application Details F06A/1495

http://www.fingalcoco.ie/LivingInFingal/Planning/PlanningSearch/

The development was given planning permission on December 4th. They have begun to clear the site this week.

Very Interesting. Thanks for that ... there sure is a lot going in there. Is there really a need for more offices, though. Particlarly when many of the other ones in the town are not yet filled.

Bluetonic

It appears to be only 3 offices, not too many and they will be facing onto The Harry Reynolds Road so in keeping with the other offices in the area.

Swimming pool, gym plan for Balbriggan

By Robin Kiely

A NEW leisure centre, comprising a swimming pool and gym, as well as a bank and retail area could be on its way to Balbriggan if the council grants permission for a mixed use development in the south-west of the town.

Pat Fallon, with an address at Newgrange Business Park, Drogheda, is seeking permission for a mixed use commercial and retail development on a 1.704 hectare site, formerly the Potato Store, at Stephenstown.

Four buildings are planned in the scheme, arranged along the fronting roadways in a triangular shape, enclosing a courtyard and a multi-storey car park.

‘Block A’ is planned as a three storey building fronting the Inner Relief Road with two street level retail units and training centre offices overhead.

‘Block B’ is also three storey, made up of two retail units and a sandwich bar/cafe at street level with overhead training centre offices, linked into ‘Block C’ at third floor level.

As well as the cafe, commercial retail outlets could include office equipment and systems, IT, telephony equipment and a pharmacy.

‘Block C’ is made up of two, three and four storeys accommodating a banking hall at street level and associated bank offices overhead on two floors at the corner of the Inner Relief Road and the estate road.

Three science and technology offices are to front onto the estate road, while the building will also incorporate roof terraces and gardens at second and third floor levels.

According to the plans, the three storey ‘Block D’ building will accommodate a commercial leisure centre, including swimming pool, wet area, changing rooms, gym, aerobics area, treatment rooms, reception and foyer.

A multi-storey car park with ground level retail kiosk is earmarked for the courtyard, while vehicular access is provided from the industrial estate road.

The site is bounded to the north, east and west by industrial units and by the Inner Relief Road to the south and is described as ‘a key junction location’ on the new route leading from Skerries

dubmick

It could be Jackie Skellys as they are due to open in Balbriggan in 2007.

Bluetonic

dubmick wrote:

It could be Jackie Skellys as they are due to open in Balbriggan in 2007.

Whoever runs it I hope membership fees are kept above average so as to keep the riff raff away.

d-redser

dubmick wrote:

It could be Jackie Skellys as they are due to open in Balbriggan in 2007.

I hope not, her gyms are a joke. Dirty changing rooms & mouldy showers, dirty machines, high joining fees and high monthly payments.

Fingleberries

d-redser wrote:

I hope not, her gyms are a joke. Dirty changing rooms & mouldy showers, dirty machines, high joining fees and high monthly payments.

Are you Ben Dunne in disguise? ... that sounds like one of his Ads

I agree with you, though, I hope it's not one of hers ... I thought there were plans for a public Pool in the town. Like the council one run in Finglas, or the Markewiec centre in the city centre (near Tara Street)

Bluetonic

Fingleberries wrote:

I thought there were plans for a public Pool in the town. Like the council one run in Finglas, or the Markewiec centre in the city centre (near Tara Street)

No, there are no plans for such a pool. The only such one planned is for the ballast pit in Skerries.

d-redser

So no gym? ah well...

Bluetonic

d-redser wrote:

So no gym? ah well...

There will be a gym as outlined above with pool.

My response was to FB post regarding a public pool.

Brian?

I know this thread is very old, but does anyone know if this is any closer to being built. The gym in particular as I'm sick of going to Jackie Skelly in Swords

Bluetonic

The site is in construction stage at the moment alright. The shell of the buildings are going up pretty quickly as they are all concrete casted.

rockdrummer

Where exactly is it going up?

"formerly the Potato Store, at Stephenstown" - is this on the way up to Arro?

sgarvan

it is opposite Sonopress, The Passport Office and Fingal Recycling

Brian?

Cheers lads, I know where that is now. I had it arseways.

Good to see the building going alright. They were a long time clearing that site.

rockdrummer

Ah now I get it !!

They just started recently, putting up the boards along the path there !!

sgarvan

thats it

http://www.balbrigganbusinesscampus.ie/

That site is on the hordings but nothing on the site yet

Bluetonic

Here's the site back in the day

http://www.balbriggan.net/bmxjuly08.htm

meditraitor

^^^^^
Here is a picture I came across on a BMX site a while ago.

I dont think its anyone local , b nordies mainly (Laferty bros in the falcon gear, the guy in the raleigh??)

nstoev

sgarvan wrote: »

thats it

http://www.balbrigganbusinesscampus.ie/

That site is on the hordings but nothing on the site yet

No mention of a pool or gym in the plans on the web site. Seems like the whole Block D has gone missing!

Bluetonic

Bluetonic wrote: »

Block C is a 2,3 and 4 storey building accommodating a banking hall at street level and associated bank offices overhead on two floors at the corner of the Inner Relief Road and the estate road and 3 no. own door science and technology offices fronting the estate road. The building will have roof terraces/gardens at second and third floor levels along the estate road.

The bank in question here will be AIB.

One can only presume they will be closing the building on the square.

netopia

No apparently its going to be a call-center for AIB & the dingy branch will stay where it is:(

Firedance

So, 2 years and four months after the orignal post we're still none the wiser on this??! They built their commercial offices and left out the leisure centre or does anyone have an update/news on this. The local elections are coming up in June.... must make a few enquiries of the candidites

Helmet

I mailed Marc Meehan the project manager on that site a few months back to see what the craic was. Here's his comprehensive, informative reply,,,,,,,,

"There is planning for a leisure centre but nothing will be built for a few years"

DubArk

I recieved this on the first of April 2009. Hope this clears things up for the time been.


Skerries Community Association


Last Friday, the SCA was contacted by Senan Turnbull, Director of Services for Community, Sport and Recreation at Fingal County Council.
Mr Turnbull informed us of the County Manager’s decision to request that Minister Martin Cullen make available 2.5 million euro of funding from the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme for the proposed swimming pool at Balbriggan Rugby Club in Balrothery.
A letter to this effect has now been sent by the County Manager David O'Connor to Minister Cullen.
As most of you will know, funding of 3.8 m euro from this scheme was provisionally awarded to the swimming pool project in the Ballast Pit in 2001. The council has now requested that 2.5 m euro of this allocation should be transferred to the Balrothery project which will have to provide a certain level of public access in return. As a result of this, none of this 3.8m euro of public funding will now be available for the pool in Skerries.
We wish to express our great disappointment and frustration at the loss of this funding opportunity for the Ballast Pit pool. We want to acknowledge the sixteen years of tireless work and dedication of the members of the Fingal Swimming Pool Association and the efforts of the people of Northeast Fingal, particularly in recent months, to try to secure a public pool for our community at the Ballast Pit.
Our thanks again, to all those who have contributed to trying to make this project a reality, in particular the members of the Fingal Swimming Pool Association:
John Coleman, Chairman
Maureen Ferguson
Norman Scott
Lucy Wilson (deceased)
Michael Keatings
Eugene Osborne

Bluetonic

Confirmed that AIB are relocating here.

AIB to Open New Balbriggan Branch
Wednesday, May 13, 2009 3:52 AM

(Source: Irish Times)AIB IS TO relocate its bank branch in Balbriggan to a new business park on the outskirts of the north Dublin town. The bank has leased about 464sq m (5,000sq ft) of retail space in Balbriggan Business Campus and a further 210sq m (2,260sq ft) at first floor level.

A spokesperson for AIB said it would be opening a new branch towards the end of the year.

The bank is likely to be paying a rent roll of [euro]235,000 per annum, equating to [euro]376 per sq m ([euro]35 per sq ft) for the retail space and about [euro]161 per sq m ([euro]15 per sq ft) for the offices.

It will be the first significant letting in the campus which will have three blocks with a total floor area of about 9,290sq m (100,000sq ft). The ground floors will be in retail use. The development, by businessman Pat Fallon, also includes a multi- storey car-park with 262 spaces.

Nigel Kingston of Douglas Newman Good Commercial said that, despite the tough conditions in the office market, the agency is still positive that the combined factors of value and location would make the campus a definite prospect for office accommodation in north Dublin.

The campus is within five minutes' walk of Balbriggan town centre, is off the M1 and within 15 minutes drive of Dublin Airport.

(c) 2009 Irish Times. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights

Source

LeoB

DubArk wrote: »

I recieved this on the first of April 2009. Hope this clears things up for the time been.


Skerries Community Association


Last Friday, the SCA was contacted by Senan Turnbull, Director of Services for Community, Sport and Recreation at Fingal County Council.
Mr Turnbull informed us of the County Manager’s decision to request that Minister Martin Cullen make available 2.5 million euro of funding from the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme for the proposed swimming pool at Balbriggan Rugby Club in Balrothery.
A letter to this effect has now been sent by the County Manager David O'Connor to Minister Cullen.
As most of you will know, funding of 3.8 m euro from this scheme was provisionally awarded to the swimming pool project in the Ballast Pit in 2001. The council has now requested that 2.5 m euro of this allocation should be transferred to the Balrothery project which will have to provide a certain level of public access in return. As a result of this, none of this 3.8m euro of public funding will now be available for the pool in Skerries.
We wish to express our great disappointment and frustration at the loss of this funding opportunity for the Ballast Pit pool. We want to acknowledge the sixteen years of tireless work and dedication of the members of the Fingal Swimming Pool Association and the efforts of the people of Northeast Fingal, particularly in recent months, to try to secure a public pool for our community at the Ballast Pit.
Our thanks again, to all those who have contributed to trying to make this project a reality, in particular the members of the Fingal Swimming Pool Association:
John Coleman, Chairman
Maureen Ferguson
Norman Scott
Lucy Wilson (deceased)
Michael Keatings
Eugene Osborne

Is there any further developments on this pool issue?
I was at a public meeting in 1994 in Rush when a site for the pool was donated by a local club and also €1.5 million pledged within 48 hours of the meeting. I believe the money was pledged on condition the pool would be built in Rush seen as how Rush gets by-passed for most other things!!

Bluetonic

AIB will relocate here from the Square and open on October 12th.

darraghjm

it seems theres a new gym opening in balbriggan soon. http://platinumgyms.ie/
don't think it will have a pool, its going to be beside pj's playcentre on the way out of the town, lots of parking there, could be a good spot for it

tregan

any more updates re pools in balbriggan area / surrounds? i have to start swimming again and want your recommendations for pools that are nearby please?

Sock Monster

darraghjm wrote: »

it seems theres a new gym opening in balbriggan soon. http://platinumgyms.ie/
don't think it will have a pool, its going to be beside pj's playcentre on the way out of the town, lots of parking there, could be a good spot for it

A gym that offers Pilates and Yoga classes as part of it's monthly fee - sounds brilliant but I'll believe it when I see it

I took this from the website
" Dedicated studio with extensive range of classes weekly, including yoga, pilates, boxercise and circuit training.
All classes included in your annual membership fee. That’s right – no additional charge for studio classes."

Sock Monster

tregan wrote: »

any more updates re pools in balbriggan area / surrounds? i have to start swimming again and want your recommendations for pools that are nearby please?

Where do people in Balbriggan go to swim?

tregan

maybe people in balbriggan don't swim?? anyway, i've been looking at places and it seems the aura leisure in drogheda is my best bet. you pay as you go i.e. don't have to do membership thing. i've been there before but only for baby swim and they do lates until 10pm and have adult swim for last hour but don't think i'd be able for that late - i'm shattered now and it's just after 7pm!

anyone know of anywhere else?

i've looked at alsaa before but think you have to do a membership thing and not sure if it's open to general public? then couldn't find anything about gormanstown - only lessons?

Absurdum

Sock Monster wrote: »

Where do people in Balbriggan go to swim?

The sea :P

I go to the National Aquatic Centre
http://www.nationalaquaticcentre.ie/

Fingleberries

Sock Monster wrote: »

Where do people in Balbriggan go to swim?

Aura Leisure Centre in Drogheda is quite good, in that you can pay as you go and don't have to pay a membership (you can if you want).

They have early morning and late evening swims when there are no kids, too.

Bluetonic

Balbriggan Rugby Club clubhouse and sports and leisure center plans.

Absurdum

darraghjm wrote: »

it seems theres a new gym opening in balbriggan soon. http://platinumgyms.ie/
don't think it will have a pool, its going to be beside pj's playcentre on the way out of the town, lots of parking there, could be a good spot for it

Opened last Saturday, it's pretty good, lots of weight equipment.

Dors1976

tregan wrote: »

i've looked at alsaa before but think you have to do a membership thing and not sure if it's open to general public? then couldn't find anything about gormanstown - only lessons?

Alsaa is open to the public - http://www.alsaa.ie/membership.htm

Aweebird

darraghjm wrote: »

it seems theres a new gym opening in balbriggan soon. http://platinumgyms.ie/
don't think it will have a pool, its going to be beside pj's playcentre on the way out of the town, lots of parking there, could be a good spot for it

Hi There,

This new gym in Balbriggan in open already. I joined last week while they had a special offer €370p.a, works out only €30 per month. They don't have a pool, but they do have a sauna and evening classes. The classes start @ 7.30 - for somebody like me who has to commute from D4 and only gets to Balbriggan @ 7 - just perfect. A friend of mine uses WestWood in Clontarf off peak and Platinumgym when he's working from home/weekends, so he says Platunum has all the equipment WestWood has. And you are right about parking: loads of space. So far anyway

Aweebird

Sock Monster wrote: »

A gym that offers Pilates and Yoga classes as part of it's monthly fee - sounds brilliant but I'll believe it when I see it

They told me classes are free for gym members but you can ask yourself when you are there.

rccaulfield

Great- so no pool at all still. Just a useless gym that just wants yer money.

Aweebird

A gym is as good as you use it. And it would probably relate to any gym. Shaolin monks didn't have any cardio equipment and used bags of beans and buckets of water for training yet achieved incredible results. You sound bitter and unfit, so why don't you get a wetsuit and try open sea swimming? This way you have a private swimming pool open exclusively for you 24/7?? You'll have no excuse then:) LOL

RobFowl

Aweebird wrote: »

why don't you get a wetsuit and try open sea swimming?

Anyone planning open sea swimming around these part should have a look here :eek:
http://www.fingalcoco.ie/Environment/BeachesinFingal/BathingWaterQuality/

profitness

hope the rugby club gets a swimming pool as the town badly needs one!! I work out in the Bodylab gym in Balbriggan its smaller than the new place but the membership works out at €20 a month and its located right in the centre of the town so its handy to walk to. i'd reccommend anyone who's serious about getting in shape to get down and have a chat with the instructors, they know their stuff and its worked wonders for me so far.

gerryjc

My worry is HOW MUCH public access the rugby club will provide.
You can be damn sure that Fingal County Council haven't had the cop on to set it out in the planning permission.

Beasty

gerryjc wrote: »

My worry is HOW MUCH public access the rugby club will provide.
You can be damn sure that Fingal County Council haven't had the cop on to set it out in the planning permission.

It was one of the conditions of public funding that a certain amount of public access be provided

gerryjc

Exactly it's the words "Certain amount" that worry me.

Sounds very wishy washy.

Does anyone have any exact details?