Councillors expect 20 ‘spare’ acres on Stillorgan reservoir site

Irish Water urged to allow public access to surplus land for recreational use

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown councillors believe there will be 20 “spare” acres on the site of an Irish Water reservoir in Stillorgan which is due to undergo a proposed €80 million upgrade.

The councillors agreed on Monday night to write to the Government asking it to allow public access to the 20 acres of the Stillorgan site which the utility company has acknowledged it will not immediately require when it goes ahead with the upgrade of the reservoir.

Irish Water has previously said that once the new covered reservoir is operational, two other open reservoirs are to be decommissioned; landscaping of the site will include a meadow on the roof of the reservoir.

Fine Gael councillor Barry Saul, who is running a campaign for a new public park to be created in the area, said up to four sports clubs had hoped to get pitches in on the site.

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He has asked fellow councillors to write to the Minister for Local Government Eoghan Murphy to request that pressure be brought to bear on Irish Water to to allow public access to the 20 acres of the site the utility would not immediately need.

Tim O'Brien

Tim O'Brien

Tim O'Brien is an Irish Times journalist