DIVING boards in Fenit moved another step closer on Friday after the Restore Fenit Diving Boards Campaign (RFDBC) delegation received the backing of Kerry County Council for the project.
After the Tralee Municipal District meeting on Monday, May 14, Council management revealed there were still issues to be resolved in terms of safety and funding would have to be found by the local community.
However, the RFDBC delegation met with officials of Tralee Municipal District at Áras an Chontae, Rathass, Tralee on Friday last and the issues were resolved with Municipal Manager Michael Scannell informing the meeting that Kerry County Council would give the project its full backing.
The entire cost of the project must be met through grant aid and local contribution and it’s likely it will be a long term project taking at least 12 months or longer.
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Fenit Development Association, of which The RFDBC Committee is an accredited sub-committee, will apply to the Local Authority for planning permission for the project.
The project will be entirely community based and subject to the standards and safety requirements of Kerry County Council and Irish Water Safety.
Kerry County Council has pledged every possible advisory support during the design and construction of the diving boards.
When the project has been completed, Kerry County Council will include the diving boards in its foreshore licence and insurance cover, as well as maintaining the bathing slip to the highest standard.
The five people who led the campaign and successfully negotiated with Kerry County Council – Liam Doyle, Paddy Kissane, Mike O Neill, John Edwards and Billy Ryle – will continue to oversee the project right through to completion.
It’s likely that the committee will be expanded to include, in particular, people with fund raising expertise.
The RFDBC committee is delighted that Kerry County Council has sanctioned this project for the benefit of the people of Kerry and the many visitors, who generate much needed tourist revenue in the area. The new diving boards will be an entirely public free-to-use aqua-sports facility and will include disability access.
The RFDBC Committee thanked Manager Michael Scannell and his officials for the proactive endorsement of the project.
A statement from the RFDBC adds: “The positive response from Kerry County Council means that Fenit can now look forward to the restoration of a much loved and badly missed sports and leisure facility. We are extremely grateful to our Architects and Engineering/Environmental Consultants for the superb design of the diving boards.
We are indebted to the general public for the magnanimous support and goodwill for the campaign. We are very grateful to the local Public Representatives who immediately recognised the considerable social, economic, tourism and recreational value of the project along the North Kerry Wild Atlantic Way blue coastal route. In particular, we’d like to extend our sincere thanks to Mayor of Tralee, Cllr. Norma Foley who was an excellent Chairperson, facilitator, honest-broker and liaison between the sides during the past few months.”