BANDON is crying out for a municipal swimming pool and leisure centre to cater for its growing population, a meeting heard last week.
Cllr Gillian Coughlan (FF) raised a motion at the Bandon Kinsale Municipal District asking that a review of the County Development Plan would identify a site for a municipal swimming pool and leisure centre. She said Bandon in particular is ‘crying out for a swimming pool’ and that a planned ‘pop-up’ pool for the town didn’t go very far, despite sites being identified.
‘I know there is a swimming pool in Dunmanway but it’s not near enough. I think if the government gave something big to Bandon like a pool, it would be of huge benefit,’ said Cllr Coughlan.
‘I accept Kinsale doesn’t have a public swimming pool either, but it does have private swimming pools and it’s also that bit closer to Cork city.’
Cllr Coughlan highlighted the fact that Mayfield Swimming Club in Cork City bought an Olympic size swimming pool and plan to assemble it at a site in the near future and are looking for funding to achieve this.
‘It’s not always that difficult to come up with ideas,’ she added.
Cllr Ann Bambury (SD) said she regularly takes her children to Dunmanway for swimming lessons and noted that most of the people who go there for the lessons are actually travelling from Bandon.
‘It’s a trek having to drive back and forth to Dunmanway and I know of other parents who are forced to travel to Macroom and Leisureworld in Bishopstown,’ said Cllr Bambury.
‘This is not sustainable and we are actually causing more congestion when we should actually be encouraging people to stay within their own community.’
Cllr Bambury said solar power panels could be incorporated into a new pool building which would drastically reduce energy costs. She suggested that – similar to Europe – large local companies could filter power and energy to swimming pools.
‘There are means and ways of mitigating against the energy costs,’ Cllr Bambury said.
Cllr Alan Coleman (Ind) said Bandon has a good case to make and pointed out that during the boom, the town missed out on getting a hotel with a swimming pool, unlike other provincial towns which were heavily subsidised by the State.
Cllr John Michael Foley (FG) said a pool would be of great advantage to Bandon and fully supported the motion.
Municipal district officer Brian Dunne said it would be appropriate if a need is proven and it is shown to be viable.
But senior executive officer Noreen O’Mahony said that there are very significant operating and energy costs associated with running swimming pools.
