Driven by a grassroots initiative, Dublin is taking the next step towards having a public lido in the heart of the city – with the hope of following many European cities where such community facilities are a matter of course.
Dublin City Lido campaign, which emerged following a letter to The Irish Times, has completed its latest design and conceptual images for a public outdoor swimming pool (lido) at George’s Dock. Its case is bolstered by a feasibility study demonstrating the ambitious proposal is possible – and follows extensive consultation.
Created in partnership with acclaimed outdoor swimming architect Chris Romer-Lee of Studio Octopi in London and funded through an ongoing GoFundMe campaign that has raised more than €11,000 of its €20,000 costs, the images “confirm the genuine opportunity that exists for the people of Dublin and beyond to enjoy a state-of-the-art heated outdoor swimming facility”, according to campaign founder Patrick Earls.
Updated designs include an accessible 50m all-season heated pool; a smaller learning pool; sauna and plunge pool; changing facilities; water gardens with public seating; restored dock walls; community function room; a cafe and viewing gallery. Conceptual images have been updated to take into account feedback from Dublin city councillors; Dublin City Council (DCC) executive and the local community, he adds.
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“These images communicate the enormous benefit a lido would bring to people in Dublin including long-established local communities, residents throughout the city, and visitors to the capital,” Earls says. “A heated outdoor pool would ensure year-round access for all types of swimmers, providing our city with an inclusive and unique facility.”
In July 2022 DCC announced plans for a public pool or lido and an emergency services training centre at the site, instead of the previously planned white-water rafting scheme, which became controversial – especially over escalating costs – and was refused funding by the Government.
It was envisaged these revised plans, estimated to cost at least €25 million, would result in 60 per cent of the site devoted to public pools and 40 per cent for a “swift water training facility” for Dublin Fire Brigade. However, the plans have yet to progress.
The campaign group based in the docklands is seeking to remove the training facility from the plans so the site can be used entirely as a public lido.
Earls wrote to The Irish Times in January 2021 as “Dublin City Council’s harebrained white-water rafting centre” was being progressed and entering tendering phase.
He hoped for an amenity to benefit ordinary Dubliners: “I’m not opposed to Ireland expanding its grossly deficient sporting infrastructure. But it strikes me that a 19th-century maritime dock calls out for a historically sensitive, people-friendly development.”
Asking if it was another example of the living city being sacrificed for tourism interests, he suggested an outdoor swimming pool facility combined with parkland at the site north of the Liffey.
Having returned from London, he says he wished to see Dublin enhanced by a citizen-friendly option. He with friends started a petition, knowing what is available in London, Scandinavia and Germany. Their petition was quickly supported by 5,000 people. “The idea chugged along since, but there is a serious proposal now on board. We’re getting closer to it being realised.”
Their study concludes an outdoor swimming facility of a specific scale would be viable from a design and economic perspective. The engineering firm Civic, enthused by the potential of the municipal proposal, provided expertise on a pro-bono basis.
“These images reflect an optimal design informed by a feasibility study we have been undertaking for the past 18 months,” Earls adds. “Having examined all possible uses for the site, a medium-sized inclusive lido combining swimming pools, green space and community facilities offer the most value for the public.”
Romer-Lee says he is very happy with the latest design which proved to be an amazing project to work on and hopes it will catch the eye and ensure debate is “angled in the right direction”.
The George’s Dock site is unique, he adds.
Extensive planting will shroud the pool and ensure privacy while the public water garden will be at the southern end. “We are trying to appeal to everybody – swimmer or not. It’s a new blue and green place for the city centre that reduces the impact of glass, steel and cement.”
He specialises in water-based projects, particularly community outdoor lidos and set up the Future Lidos campaign group, which shares knowledge and resources and is involved in 40 campaigns throughout the UK and Ireland – including a floating lido on the Thames and restoring an art deco tidal pool in Scotland.
Earls says its proposals also promote mental and physical health benefits for all users, swimming and water safety for children and adults, and accessible green space and seating for non-swimmers. The pool will be heated sustainably with ground- and air-sourced heat pumps.
The campaign plans to present its feasibility study to the DCC executive and city councillors early in 2025, with the ultimate aim of DCC – which owns the site – starting preliminary work to advance the development. The group is calling for DCC to build on voluntary work done to date and commit to funding “a further public-coded feasibility study from the current capital budget”. They have been encouraged by useful informal discussions with DCC and councillors.
The lido has secured backing from the national governing body of swimming, Swim Ireland, which has partnered with Dublin City Lido to provide support and to advance the campaign in alignment with its national swimming strategy.
We believe development of a well-operated and inclusive lido would have positive social effects helping to rejuvenate our great city. It could empower local communities, attract more Dubliners to the city centre and make inner city living even more appealing
— Sarah Walker, campaign director
While recognising many differing infrastructure demands on DCC, “we believe there is a strong case for an outdoor lido in Dublin city,” says Sarah Keane, Swim Ireland’s chief executive. “We recognise DCC’s existing commitment to sporting infrastructure and indeed swimming pools ... we would urge them to support the call by the Dublin City Lido campaign for a feasibility study to consider the practical aspects of a lido in Dublin and to support reasoned decision making.”
Dublin is lagging behind other European cities of comparative size and density in the provision of municipal outdoor swimming facilities. Cities such as Helsinki and Copenhagen operate a minimum of three lidos. “Dublin is falling behind even smaller cities, from Bristol to Amsterdam, which have one and seven lidos respectively, despite lower population density,” Earls says.
“Other liveable, modern and ambitious cities offer recreational and sporting facilities of this nature. For a metropolitan city of our size we would expect to have at least one outdoor public swimming pool in Dublin. We believe it’s not a case of if, but when Dublin is brought in line with other global cities in the provision of these public amenities,” adds campaign director Sarah Walker.
“The project already aligns with widespread national and EU policy and we would expect to see the Department of Sport, and local Government and TDs respond to the importance of the project by assisting in securing funding. We hope George’s Dock will be the first lido but do not expect it to be the only one in our city in the next 10 years.”
The new designs follow the recent Dublin City Taskforce report, published amid debate about challenges facing Dublin’s inner city and decline in social cohesion. The campaign has consulted extensively with local community and sports groups. Feedback has been positive with recognition that an inclusive facility could provide a vital piece of social infrastructure helping to regenerate the inner city.
“These challenges facing the north inner city are complex and multifaceted,” Walker says. “However, we believe development of a well-operated and inclusive lido would have positive social effects helping to rejuvenate our great city. It could empower local communities, attract more Dubliners to the city centre and make inner city living even more appealing.”
This view is echoed by taskforce chairman David McRedmond, chief executive of An Post: “[Our] recommendations focused on offering Dubliners compelling reasons to live in and visit the city centre, and the lido is a great example of an ambitious amenity that will address dereliction and create an appealing, accessible and positive space for all Dubliners. While the taskforce report was focused on broader elemental actions, I am excited by the lido proposal which deserves very serious consideration.”
Dublin City Lido has identified the best operational model to ensure a high-standard public facility where affordable access is guaranteed. It says the facility should be run by an expert not-for-profit operator on behalf of DCC, which should retain ownership of the facility. This model is successfully deployed at other Dublin facilities such as Sean McDermott Street Swimming Pool and Swan Leisure Pools in Rathmines and Crumlin. Experienced operators have expressed interest in running the lido, Earls says.
Romer-Lee confirms its design has been costed but, conscious of the site’s recent history, the figures will be provided to DCC first. It will be comparable to any other leisure facility or public building such as a library. “We will not break boundaries in terms of cost.”
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