Dún Laoghaire Baths

Concept Proposal for Redevelopment

Non-statutory Consultation

Submission from the Green Party Dún Laoghaire

17 December 2010

The Green Party Dún Laoghaire welcomes proposals to redevelop the Dún
Laoghaire Baths and has been campaigning for their reinstatement over the last
decade.

The new proposals are a welcome departure from previous plans for high-rise and
over-elaborate schemes on this site.

In particular we welcome,

• The inclusion of swimming facilities.

• The restoration of the existing Pavilion building.
• Limiting the height of a new building to that of the existing Pavilion.
• Provisions for a café and spa facilities.
• The covering over of the Dart line outside the People’s Park to improve
access to the Baths for pedestrians and cyclists.

We welcome comments from the County Manager and the Architect of these
plans that, at this stage, the designs are a concept and can subject to change.

In that spirit, we propose the following changes to the proposals:

• The Council should consider the inclusion of an indoor heated pool.

• The significant space given to a restaurant should be scaled down to
provide instead, a modest café/restaurant, an indoor pool, gym facilities
and seaweed baths.
• The renovation of the existing walkways and maritime gardens between
the Baths and East Pier must be carried out in an environmentally
sustainable manner and without any interference with the existing
coastline beyond that absolutely necessary for the protection of the leisure
amenity.
• Any construction of breakwaters and infill of the coastline must be based
on sound evidence. It is worth noting that the existing Baths environs
have stood the test of time for many years without additional man-made
defences. We note that Coastwatch Ireland has identified Scotsman’s Bay
as a sensitive and rich marine habitat.
• The Council should consider reinstating the existing Baths in a tasteful
manner. This should include a children’s pool and a pool deep enough for
adults to swim in.
• Phase one should prioritise the restoration of the Pavilion building, the
clean up of the Baths site and the reinstatement or rebuilding of the Adults
and Children’s pools.
• Our coastline is a precious resource and green space should not be given
to surface car parking. There is already surface car parking on
Newtownsmith Green.

In conclusion we suggest that the Council carry out a minimal refurbishment that
would re-open the existing outdoor pools for the summer months over two or
three years to see what demand there might be for more extensive works. Such a
refurbishment would address health and safety issues and allow the existing pools
to be re-used.

It may be possible to emulate the successful ‘urban beach’ installation from the
quays of Paris in order to provide an attractive outdoor leisure facility for the
summer months with sand, beach chairs and a temporary café. Such a facility
could be provided at a fraction of the costs envisaged in the Council’s plans.

It may also be instructive to examine the outdoor swimming pool1 designed by

Portuguese Architect Alvaro Siza at Leça da Palmeira in Portugal to see how
existing coastline features are incorporated into the pool surroundings

Ciarán Cuffe TD, Green Party Dún Laoghaire

17 December 2010

1
http://www.galinsky.com/buildings/leca/index.htm