GAA submit plans to rezone Spawell land
DUBLIN GAA has submitted a request for the rezoning of a portion of their land at the Spawell in Templeogue to facilitate the development of “a state-of-the-art playing pitch cluster”.
In their submission on the County Development Plan, Blue Clusters Company Limited – which was set up by the Dublin GAA County Board to run, own and operate the Spawell – said that if the site is rezoned it will enable them to meet one of their objectives to address “deficits” of GAA facilities in the county.
One of the solutions offered by the County Board to address these deficits is the development of clusters of playing pitches with floodlights and all-weather pitches.
The clusters are also to containancillary facilities, such as walking and jogging trails and outdoor exercise stations.
The facilities will be made available to local clubs “on a shared basis”, according to the submission, and the Spawell Centre, which sits on a 13.8-hectare site, including a pitch and putt course and a driving range when it was purchased by the County Board in 2017, makes it an ideal location for a cluster.
The County Board stated this would “represent a very significant addition to the area’s active recreational infrastructure” and would enable the continued growth of GAA games in the locality.
However, the subject site is currently zoned for open space uses.
Blue Clusters Company Limited requested in their submission that the site be rezoned for the development of a local centre, which would enable them to develop the aforementioned playing pitch cluster.
It is noted in the submission that the balance of the Spawell lands, which represents over 70 per cent of the overall landholding, is to remain zoned for open space and recreational uses.
The proposed zoning change would allow a portion of the site to be used for a range of uses, “which will enhance the life of the neighbourhood community” in a way “which cannot be accommodated under the existing zoning regime,” claimed Blue Clusters Company Limited.
