Popular Ballina facility to close for upgrade works
Ballina Swimming Pool will close for two separate weeks later this year as the facility is undergoing upgrade works,
The pool will first close for one week from Monday, August 17, to allow for the installation of upgraded lighting. It will then close again for one week from Monday, September 14, while a new air handling unit is installed.
Ballina Swimming Pool was selected under the SEAI Pathfinder Programme, which supports public bodies to upgrade their buildings to improve energy efficiency. The planned works include replacing all existing lighting with energy-efficient LED lighting and installing a new air handling unit in the pool hall that incorporates heat-recovery technology. The project will cost €300,000, with 50% of the funding being provided by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).
Once completed, the upgrades are expected to deliver annual cost savings of 26%, reduce energy consumption by 33%, and cut CO2 emissions by 23%.
Details on the project were given to councillors at the July meeting of the Ballina Municipal District in response to a notice of motion tabled by Cllr John O'Hara, who called on Mayo County Council to upgrade facilities at the pool. He said residents had approached him on numerous occasions to highlight the need for improvement works to bring the building up to standard. He welcomed the works already planned, saying they would enhance the facility, but added that further improvements could be made.
“It's where people go 365 days a year. I would ask our engineering people to go up and look, and then see what funding is needed to make it an enjoyable and safe place for people to go,” he said.
The motion was supported by Cllr Joe Faughnan, who said that, along with the athletics track, the swimming pool is an important sporting amenity in the town.
- Published as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.
