€5m plan to deliver sports pavilions for clubs in county

ALMOST €5 million has been proposed by South Dublin County Council to be allocated for the expanded delivery of Sports Pavilions in 2024-2025.

This was what Councillors were told as the Council presented an update to the Pavilions Programme at the full Council meeting on April 8.

“There’s an additional €4.8 million required by my reckoning for this enhanced programme which will include Kilnamanagh open space, Sean Walsh Park, Griffeen Valley, Tymon Park South, Kiltipper Park and Willsbrook Park,” said Teresa Walsh, Director of Environment, Water and Climate Change with the Council.

South Dublin County Council (SDCC) was allocated €2 million in 2023 for the 2024-2026 capital budget with the total grants available currently amounting to €1,875,363.

This review proposes an expanded and accelerated programme, incorporating an upgrade of existing facilities to bring them into increased use.

The projected delivery timelines include that from May to October there would be Part 8’s for Collinstown, Kilnamanagh, Sean Walsh Park, Arthur Griffith Park, Tymon Park South, Kiltipper and Willsbrook.

From May to August 2024 the Council will put together framework tenders for the civil works and for the modular building framework. “In September we would hope to see contractor mobilisation,” added Ms Walsh.

A development carried out by a Local Authority is often referred to as ‘Part 8’ development. This is a reference to Part 8 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 which sets out the procedure for carrying out such developments. Such works include the construction of houses, roads, swimming pools, public toilets and more.

From October to December 2024, according to Ms Walsh, “the Civil works and modular manufacture would be delivered at Corkagh and Griffeen and from January until March [2025] the modular installation of those [Griffeen and Corkagh], and during which time we would try and get as many other ones … up and running along that.”

“We reckon once we get going and once we have the framework in place there’s an estimated 28-week delivery timeframe for each one of them, but we’ll run as many of them concurrently as we possibly can,” she added.

SDCC has been awarded the following Sports Capital Grants (SCG) which contribute to the capital budget available namely Griffeen Valley Park – €610,000, Corkagh Park ORR – €550,000, and Collinstown Park – €455,905.

An additional application for funding has been made for a fourth pavilion namely Dodder Valley Mt Carmel which is partially SCG grant funded for €259,458 with a second application in 2023 awaiting result.

In line with SDCC’s Sports Pitch Strategy it is proposed to retain the management of the facilities by the council. “We will be using the online ..

pavilion booking system,” said Ms Walsh.

Ms Walsh also outlined the innovative approach in the update to the Pavillion programme. “We’ve changed the building model to a modular system, we’ve a framework type procurement proposed, accelerated delivery and funding streams proposed as well,” she said.

One aspect of the programme is its flexibility. “The beauty of this is that it is a modular based system, so we will be able to augment depending on whether we need more or less as the case may be,” said Ms Walsh.

“We want to maintain that flexibility in provision and to ensure that the changing facilities are for as many clubs as possible,” she added.

The Council would also like to use this model going forward. “We will make further grant applications as well during the ’25 to ’27 capital programme,” said Ms Walsh.

It is hoped that this programme will result in improved sports facilities. “They certainly will be better than containers,” said Ms Walsh.