Escalating costs look set to sink plans for a regional aquatic centre in Galway.
As The Connacht Tribune reports, there is a large question mark over the plan for a “Galway regional sports centre” with a swimming pool earmarked for the city’s western suburb of Knocknacarra.
City councillors were told last week that skyrocketing construction costs had driven the project’s price tag up to €22.1 million – €5 million more than the estimate of €17.2 million cited over two years ago, the newspaper says.
Galway City Council’s executive has been asked to see if a sum of €8 million in Largescale Infrastructure Funding (LSIF) from the Department of Sport for the Knocknacarra project can be redirected to Salthill’s Leisureland.
The balance for the regional aquatic centre in Knocknacarra was to have been secured in a public-private partnership.
Independent councillor Donal Lyons said that the financial gap was too great, and proposed redirecting the funds to Leisureland. He said that a sum of €7 to €10 million could be spent at Leisureland’s swimming pool “to bring it up to scratch”.
Read more in The Connacht Tribune here