MEETING OF LUCAN AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

MOTION NO. 15

MOTION: Councillor L. O’Toole

“That this Area Committee, further to concerns raised by Lucan Harriers in relation to the installation of a secure perimeter fence to safeguard the newly planned running track in the Lucan area, recognise the value of this facility and how it will benefit the communities in the wider Lucan area.

Furthermore, also recognises the impossible task that the members of Lucan Harriers are expected to achieve regarding the additional €60/€70K costs to secure this perimeter fence on top of the already additional costs endured during the final procurement process.

This committee now requests the Chief Executive provide a source of funding for the perimeter fence as the new track is due for completion in May 2018 as any possible funding available through various community grants may not be in place when the track is due to be opened”.

REPORT:

South Dublin County Council applied for funding to DTTS under the 2015 Sports Capital Programme for an athletics track at the Council’s Esker Park, Newcastle Road, Lucan. An award of €200,000 was made and works are now progressing on the project which costs in the region of €500,000.

The shortfall between the cost of the project and the grant is being funded by Lucan Harriers. In exchange for club funding SDCC is entering into an Annual Management Licence with the club so that they can use and enjoy the asset while they honour the terms of the licence.

An application for boundary fencing for this project was submitted under the 2017 Sports Capital Programme but this was unsuccessful. In the interim, and before the works recently commenced, there was an option to reduce the specification of the track surface and include a boundary fence. This option was presented to the club but the club opted to proceed as per original specification.

Currently, regrettably, there is no additional funding available for this project through public realm budgets but it is hoped that a further application can be submitted to DTTS under the next call for applications under the Sports Capital Grants, which may be opening quite soon.

Similarly, there may be an opening under the Council’s Community Department’s Community Infrastructure Fund which is due to open from Monday 19th March 2018.

This is a fund of €250,000 which offers Community Groups (including Sports Clubs) the opportunity to apply for funding, to assist with the costs of either constructing new Community Facilities or for the modernisation and/or expansion of existing premises.

The fund will consider funding requests from a minimum of €5,000 up to a maximum of €30,000, and groups applying must demonstrate proof of match funding of up to at least 50% of the total amount of funding being sought.

The Fund will be advertised and open to receive applications from Monday the 19th of March and the closing date is 13th of April at 4pm.