Issue - meetings

Meeting: 10/01/2022 - Monthly Council Meeting (Item 29)

29 Motions on Notice pdf icon PDF 346 KB

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Minutes:

Motion No. 33 in the Name of Lord Mayor Alison Gilliland

 

Dublin City Council commends the cross cutting climate action lens permeating all aspects of our Development Plan 2022 - 2028 and recognises the imperative of realising and indeed surpassing the climate mitigating and climate adaptation objectives of our DCC Climate Action Plan. To support full oversight of the realisation of our climate action objectives and actions Dublin City Council agrees to the scheduling of annual special meeting of the full Council to review progress of our Climate Action Plan.

The motion was put and carried.

 

Motion No. 1 in the  name of Councilor John Lyons

 

Noting the recent refusal by central government to provide funding from the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund for the white water rafting facility proposal at George’s Dock, this council believes that work on progressing the project should cease immediately and a new process initiated that will consider a variety of alternative proposals for this key city centre site.

 

Derek Kelly, Director of Services, South City provided a statement that at its meeting in December 2019, following a robust debate, the Elected Members approved, by a significant majority, a Part VIII planning application for a major redevelopment of George’s Dock. The proposed redevelopment consisted of a white-water rafting course, a swift water rescue training facility with an urban street scene for use by the emergency services and a kayaking/canoe polo/swimming pool within the derelict outer basin at George’s Dock. The Council also approved the demolition of the existing City Council Dockland offices on Custom House Quay and the construction of two new Quayside buildings – one to service the George’s Dock development and a second to replace the Docklands offices.

 

Since the approval of the Part VIII there has been a considerable amount of negative commentary related to this project. This has created a narrative around the project that appears impossible to reverse and that has undermined the planned funding of the project. While the merits of the project, as set out in the Business Case and Cost Effectiveness Analysis, are still as strong today as they were in 2019 we have been unable to convince the various State funding bodies, to support the project and provide part funding to supplement the Council’s own funding contribution. (In this regard it is worth noting that it was never intended that the project would receive URDF funding.)Notwithstanding the support of the City Council, it has become clear that there is significant hostility towards the elements of the project that would boost the tourism offer in Dublin and provide a world class sporting facility.

 

In light of the funding difficulties, I am recommending that the Council does not proceed with the George’s Dock element of the project.

 

The existing Docklands Office building is no longer ‘fit for purpose’. A recent independent condition survey has identified serious issues with the building. As a result it is now necessary for the Council’s Docklands Unit to vacate  ...  view the full minutes text for item 29