Tender issued for design of regional sports centre in Robinstown
The contract for the design and planning phase of a new regional sports centre at Robinstown has been out to tender by Westmeath County Council.
The tender notice issued by the council says that “depending on the outcome of the preliminary design process the project will include some/or all of the following facilities: A X m X lane swimming pool; a children’s leisure pool; a health suite comprising sauna, steam room and spa facility; indoor multi-use sports arena; a fitness gym; exercise areas for aerobics, boxing and spinning; all-weather flood lit pitches; turf training pitches; covered playing pitch; children’s play centre; junior playground facility; landscaping and pathways; parking”.
The news that the design has been put to tender has been welcomed by the Mullingar Pool Action Group, whose chairperson Lisa Corcoran says it is a sign that the campaign for a new pool and sports centre in the town has gained momentum since they formed last October.
“As a group, we welcome the decision by Westmeath County Council to put the design of the sports centre out to tender.
“It’s a small but important step on the road to achieving a piece of much needed sporting infrastructure for the greater Mullingar area.”
Tribute
Paying tribute to the cross party support that the action group has received, particularly from Deputy Robert Troy and Minister of State Peter Burke, Ms Corcoran said the group are also encouraged by the level of engagement from the executive of Westmeath County Council.
She also paid tribute to the county councillors who have allocated portion of the €3m they have ring fenced from their annual budget in recent years for the sports centre, some of which will be used to fund the design and planning phase of the project.
Members of the pool action group are scheduled to meet representatives of Swim Ireland and the county council this week. Ms Corcoran says it is important local groups have their say at the design phase of the project.
“It has to be a sports complex that caters to all. What we envisage as a group is a universally accessible eight to 10-lane swimming pool that will serve both the current capacity issues and the future community needs over the coming years.”
Deputy Robert Troy also welcomed the news that the council have put the design of the regional sports centre, which was first proposed over a decade ago, out to tender and acknowledged the “critical role Mullingar Pool Action Group has played in building momentum”.
“I would also like to acknowledge the local authority elected members who were receptive to the request that some of the money ring-fenced would be used to commence this project.
“Last year, I arranged a positive deputation meeting with Minister Chambers, and officials from Swim Ireland and the Department of Sport in relation to the appeals process that had been submitted [for funding the design phase of the project].
“It became apparent at that stage that the appeal was a labour in vain and we were wasting time.
“While we were disappointed, it gave us certainty and a pathway forward. On the back of that, the elected members gave instruction to the management team in the local authority that they wanted to progress with this and that’s why we are where we are now.
“We will have a meeting with representatives from the council, Swim Ireland and Mullingar Pool Action Group. Momentum is there, and we want to keep that going into the future. This is a critical infrastructure that we want see delivered for Mullingar and north Westmeath.”