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Displaying items by tag: Waterfront Development

The Irish Times writes of a controversial development proposal for a scenic south Dublin fishing harbour has been given the go ahead by An Bord Pleanála.

Bartra Property, after a protracted planning struggle, has received permission to build a number of housing units at Bulloch Harbour in Dalkey.

It will consist of three three-storey houses, two apartments and a cafe as well as a number of other buildings.

Residents living at and near the picturesque coastal inlet, popular with tourists and for fishing, have long battled the proposals they believe are out of kilter with the surrounding area. Concerns have also been repeatedly aired as to the potential for flooding due to often high sea levels.

Local People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said the decision was “incomprehensible”.

“Bulloch Harbour is a unique public amenity used by people of all ages. It is an important part of the heritage of south County Dublin, ” he said.

For more on this coastal development click here. 

Published in Dublin Bay

#Ports&Shipping - An invitation to members of the public and the business community has been made to attend the Port of Milford Haven’s Annual Consultative Meeting later this month.

The event is taking place at the Bridge Innovation Centre in Pembroke Dock on Friday 27th July, starting at 2.30pm. Attendees will receive updates from the Port’s Chairman Chris Martin, Chief Executive Alec Don and leaders of flagship projects Pembroke Dock Marine and the Milford Waterfront Development.

A number of milestones have been reached over the past twelve months including unanimous approval for a revision to Milford Waterfront’s outline planning consent, the launch of Discover Coast and Cleddau boat trips, a new collaboration with The National Museum of the Royal Navy and the acquisition of Havens Head Retail Park in Milford Haven.

Alec Don, Chief Executive at the Port, commented “We’ve had another busy year and made good progress in delivering our diversification strategy to reduce over-reliance on the volatile oil and gas industry. We’re looking forward to sharing our achievements with everyone as well as our vision for the future, whether that be existing customers of the Port or members of the community who have a genuine interest in what happens in and around the Waterway.”

Doors will open at 2pm for a 2.30pm start and light refreshments will be available. Anyone interested in attending and submitting questions prior to the event can email [email protected] or call 01646 696156.

Published in Ports & Shipping

National Watersports Campus, Dun Laoghaire

Dun Laoghaire Harbour Stakeholders combined forces in 2019 to promote a project to improve the Harbour’s infrastructure resulting in improved access, job creation and greater tourism potential. 

A grant application to government made by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (DLRCoCo) assisted by stakeholders was successful with the announcement of a €400k feasibility study grant from the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) in January 2020.

It meant plans for the €8m National Watersports Campus at Dun Laoghaire Harbour got the green light from Government and came a step closer to reality.

The project recognises deficits in the current set up in the harbour, proposing the construction of an all-tide publicly-accessible slipway (none currently in the Greater Dublin Area) as well as a marine services facility, providing a much-needed home for the supporting industry. 

The campus also seeks to provide a marketing framework to make boating more accessible to the general public.

The benefits of such an increase might be obvious for the Dun Laoghaire waterfront but there are other spin-offs for the harbour town in the creation of the sort of jobs that cannot be shipped abroad.

Centre for Community Watersports activity and public slipway

  • High-Performance coaching centre
  • Flexible Event Space for hosting national and international events
  • Multipurpose Building
  • Campus Marketing and Promotional Centre
  • Accommodation for Irish Sailing and Irish Underwater Council
  • Shared NGB Facility
  • Education Centre for schools, community groups and clubs
  • Proposed site – Carlisle Pier

Watersports Campus FAQs

Similar to the National Sports Campus in Abbotstown, the watersports campus will provide quality, public, recreational and high-performance facilities for the many watersports participants. The Campus will considerably enhance the services currently provided by more than 30 clubs and activity centres to over 50,000 annual users of the harbour.

The passing of control of the harbour to DLRCC, the public appetite for a community benefitting project and the capital funding for sports infrastructure in the Project 2040 National Plan have aligned to create an opportunity to deliver this proposal.

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (DLRCC) and the Irish Sailing Association (Irish Sailing) are the project leads, endorsed by the National Governing Bodies of other Irish watersports and clubs and activity providers.

The National Sports Policy, published in 2018, established the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) to provide Exchequer support for sports facility projects. In some cases, these may be projects where the primary objective will be to increase active participation in sport. In other cases, these may be venues where the focus is more related to high-performance sport.

Government has allocated at least €100m over the term to 2027 to successful applicant projects.

The Watersports Campus was one of seven successful applicants for Stream 1 funding allowing planning to commence on the project design and feasibility. €442,000 has been granted in this phase.

NThe project will provide for a municipally-owned public access facility to include a small craft slipway that is accessible at all stages of the tide (currently none in public ownership in the greater Dublin area), storage and lock-up resources, watersports event management space, a high-performance centre and NGB accommodation.

The project aims to enhance the profile of Dun Laoghaire as a major international venue for maritime events, shows and conferences. Establish Dun Laoghaire as the 'go-to place' for anything marine – generating revenues Create employment in the county - attract businesses, visitors and events. Grow the market for watersports Promote the services of activity providers to the public. Complement the plan to develop Dun Laoghaire as a 'destination.'

As of January 1 2021, The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has approved the applicant project and DLRCC are expected to appoint a team to further advance the project.

©Afloat 2020