Unhappy with delay in delivering facilities at two Mayo beaches

NO drawings for state-of-the-art sports facilities at two Mayo beaches have yet come before councillors, despite funding being announced nearly two years ago.

The centres, at Keel in Achill and Carramore, Louisburgh, were allocated €850,000 each.

The centres are to include hot showers, changing and toilet facilities, storage, induction spaces, equipment wash down and orientation points.

The Keel project will have to go before An Bord Pleanála as it is in an SAC (Special Area of Conservation).

Achill-based Councillor Paul McNamara has questioned what is the hold up with the projects.

Speaking at a council tourism committee meeting, he said they still hadn't seen any drawings and no application has been made for planning permission.

A second phase was to be announced in 2023 but they won't have the first phase completed by then, he said. They had already missed two seasons since the announcement was made.

The facility, which is 100% funded by Bord Fáilte, was badly needed in Achill. For example, the recent Battle of the Lakes event in Achill attracted 900 competitors, he highlighted.

“When is it going to be delivered,” he asked.

Councillor McNamara commented that the Wild Atlantic Way is starved of funding. If you take out the greenways, all that has gone up is signage. There were no new toilets at the beaches, and most of the route was on local roads, for which he has lobbied for upgrades, but nothing has happened.

Tourism officer Anna Connor said the council is working with Fáilte Ireland in progressing the plans. It is hoped to have drawings and documents to bring both centres to the planning stage completed in the next few weeks.

Carrowmore will be ready to go to Part 8 planning in January.

In relation to Keel, Fáilte Ireland hope to send a number of projects that are in SACs to An Bord Pleanála as a grouping.

It is anticipated that planning application will be submitted in the first quarter of 2023.

Councillor McNamara said the reality is the Achill project won't start until 2024, as works won't begin during the summer season.

It's not right that it is taking so long to deliver, he commented.