Confirmed: Upgrade for Grey stones Coast Guard building next year
MINISTER BOXER MORAN VISITS GREYSTONES TO SEE COAST GUARD SITE
DESIGN and cost for a new Greystones Coast Guard building has now been signed off, the tender will issue shortly and it is expected that work will begin in 2019.
Plans have also been announced to extend the garda station in the town.
The expansion of the garda station is dependent upon the movement of the Coast Guard team to their new base and using that extra space to expand the station.
Now that this move has been confirmed, Minister Simon Harris is eager to push ahead with plans for the Garda Station expansion. He said that work can begin on that once the Coast Guard project is completed and the existing station vacated.
‘ The Greystones Garda Station is far too small for modern operation so an extension is badly needed. I am delighted that the Greystones Garda Station is included in the Government approved Garda Capital Programme 2016-2021,’ he said.
At present, OPW Architectural Services are arranging to have topographical and asbestos surveys carried out on the existing building with a view to drawing up plans for the extension.
It is planned to seek planning approval for the development to the Garda Station early next year.
Minister Harris visited the two sites last Wednesday and was joined by Minister of State Kevin Boxer Moran, who has responsi- bility for the OPW and who he invited to Greystones to discuss the future of both stations.
‘It has been a long road for those of us who have been working to secure a purpose-built home for our fantastic Coast Guard team so I am really delighted to confirm that building will begin next year,’ said Minister Harris.
‘Plans for the building have been costed and the costings have been approved by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. Planning permission has already been secured so the final piece now will be the appointment of the builders. That tender will issue shortly so construction can get under way as soon as possible.’
He said that the Coast Guard team does incredible work but, at present, they operate out of an inappropriate base with very limited facilities.
The existing station doesn’t have toilets, showers or changing facilities. The new plans will include boat access to the water right at the slip.
In May of this year, the National Coast Guard along with the local unit agreed a design for the project. Dermot Macauley of Greystones Coast Guard had described previous plans for a new station as not fit for purpose.
A spokesman for Greystones Coast Guard unit said that the members are all very happy at the announcement that their new station is going ahead and thanked everyone involved for their hard work so far.
Local Fine Gael rep Alice O’Donnell was among those at the visit, and she praised the resourcefulness of the volunteers in the Coast Guard and members of the gardaí for their resourcefulness to date. ‘It’s great to see progress on both projects,’ she said. ‘ The current facilities only work due to staff and volunteers being very creative with the space that they have.’