Health and Safety access concerns to popular Sligo swimming spot raised

A SLIGO councillor said people were at a loss to understand why what appear to be routine repairs to a footpath leading to the popular Gibraltar bathing area have taken so long to happen, but he accepted that because it was now designated as a Special Area of Conservation, any works plan would take longer as it must get Bord Pleanala approval.

However, Cllr Declan Bree, raising his concerns at a meeting of the Sligo-Strandhill Municipal District, said the public are keen to see some remedial works done in the short term as the access to the beach was a health and safety issue.

He asked that an up-to-date report would be provided outlining plans/proposals for improvement works at Gibraltar/the Rocks.

“In its day Gibraltar or “The Rocks”, was a hugely popular recreation area. However, in the period before the main wastewater treatment plant was built, the area became neglected with little, or no maintenance being carried out. “The travel restrictions during the pandemic led to a significant renewed interest in the refurbishment of the area as many people recognised the value of having such an amenity so close to the urban area.

“Many members of the public are at a loss to understand why the Council cannot just go in and reinstate the paths and steps that were originally in place in Gibraltar. It all appears so simple.

“However, I am aware that we now live in different times. Gibraltar is in an area which the Irish state and the European Union have designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and a Special Protection Area (SPA). This means that a Natura Impact Statement (NIS) must be prepared, submitted, and agreed to by An Bord Pleanala before any work is undertaken to reconstruct the footpaths, the walkways, and

Gibraltar bathing area near Finisklin.

steps,” he said.

Cllr Bree said that given that the cost of preparing such a NIS would be in the region of €6,000 to €8,000 they were advised earlier this year, that prior to commissioning a consultant to prepare such a report it was decided to explore alternative and possibly less intrusive design options for providing access to the seashore. He said he was anxious that the council would provide an up-to-date progress report on the matter. He said there was a health and safety issue highlighted to him this week: “Only this week I had correspondence from a constituent who has highlighted the issue of health and safety at Gibraltar.

“He pointed out that the number of people visiting the viewing area and using the bathing waters increased considerably during the summer. He said on one occasion a child slipped and cut himself on the sharp eroded metal protruding from the old retaining wall. He says the wall needs to be repaired/restored to prevent serious injury.

“He pointed out that metal is also found within the sand surrounding the bathing area and there is a serious possibility of someone being severely injured. I know the area well and I certainly would be reluctant to go swimming in Gibraltar in its present condition,” he said.

Cllr Rosaleen O’Grady, seconding and agreeing with Cllr Bree said she had expected some work would have been done to leave access to the area safe which she described as “our Costa del Sol” and a place where the people from the urban area always went to enjoy the sea.

Cllr Arthur Gibbons added his support, stating that the area also had a great local history for so many people and this needed to be cherished too. Brian Flynn, Senior Engineer read a Council response/report which stated: “Any proposals for improving public access to the sea at Gibraltar will comprise two main elements as follows: 1. Improved pedestrian access from the public road to The Rocks, and 2. Improved access from The Rocks to the seashore. “Regarding item 1, the Council has prepared a draft site layout plan which provides for a replacement mass concrete footpath leading from the public roadway as far as the old outdoor pool at the Rocks. This proposed footpath upgrade measures approx. 92m in length. There is no funding available currently to progress this infrastructure.

“Regarding item 2, any proposal will require specialist design and the preparation of a Natura Impact Statement due to its location in the environmentally sensitive Cummeen Strand SPA and SAC and will need An Bord Pleanála approval. There is no funding available currently to progress this design.”

In response to the report from Mr Flynn, Cllr Bree asked if work could be done on the footpath as he and fellow councillors had been approached by many people who use the area for swimming and surfing. He and fellow councillors were under pressure to have something done to address the issue, he said.