Swimming pool objective now included in future development
By Lynda O'Donoghue Donnelly
THE Pool4Lucan campaign is finally making waves with an objective to provide a swimming 
pool included in the County Development Draft Plan 2016-2022.
This means that the issue of a pool for Lucan – which has been on the agenda for 30 years – will have to be voted on by councillors.
The inclusion of the objective represents a “huge step forward” for the campaign to get a swimming pool in the growing area.
Helen Farrell, who started the Pool4Lucan campaign in 2014, is “thrilled” to see the objective included in the draft plan.
Herself and fellow Lucan resident Sandra Whelan have so far collected more than 3,500 signatures on a petition for a local swimming pool.
Helen said: “I was very heartened to see South Dublin County Council recommend that the motion for a pool be adopted – that is a big change from last year and I think that it is down to the amount of people showing support for the campaign.
“There is a huge swell of people who want this to go ahead and people feel it is time to provide for the community in Lucan properly.”
Independent councillor Paul Gogarty had his motion, – co-sponsored by other members of the Independent alliance, including Cllr Liona O’Toole, Cllr Guss O’Connell and Cllr Francis Timmons – passed at a recent development plan meeting.
He asked that a Specific Local Objective be “enshrined” into the plan and suggested that the new swimming pool be part of a Sports and Leisure Centre campus at Griffeen.
If the objective remains in the final plan, alternative locations will also be looked at, but Griffeen has been identified as the “default site”.
Helen said: “I think the location at Griffeen is superb because it is between old Lucan and new Lucan and there are so many schools within one or two miles of schools. There is also land there to be developed.”
The County Development Draft Plan 2016-2022 will be published on Monday and the public consultation takes place between Monday, July 13 and Thursday, September 24.
