Athlone boardwalk bid due by 2026
The planned development of a riverside boardwalk and urban swimming pool in the River Shannon in Athlone has moved a step closer with confirmation that Westmeath County Council, in partnership with Fáilte Ireland, is seeking to appoint a design team for the proposed project.
Westmeath County Council hopes to appoint the design consultants by July and have the final project design, along with all associated reports and studies, complete in order to facilitate a planning application by July 2026.
In June of last year the proposed 'Boardwalk and Outdoor Urban Swimming Pool in Athlone' received funding approval of €561,803 towards its detailed design and planning under the Regenerative Tourism and Placemaking Scheme, which is part of the EU Just Transition Fund.
The appointed multi-disciplinary consultant design team will bring the project through an initial inception, investigations and concept design phase to preliminary design prior to the proposed development's planning application submission.
The initial phase of the project is intended to secure planning approval for the project, pending the availability of further funding to progress to phase two of the proposed development, its detailed design and construction.
Drawings detailed in the tender documentation show the proposed riverside boardwalk covering the section from the pedestrian bridge through Athlone town centre to the weir at Burgess Park.
The appointed consultants will be charged with the design and planning of a quayside boardwalk and outdoor public swimming pool.
The proposed flagship project is one of a series of potential regenerative developments detailed in the 2024 Urban Design and Regeneration Framework for Athlone published by Westmeath County Council and which aims to unlock the development potential of the town.
The council says the proposed outdoor pool, a location for which has yet to be determined, will "present a flagship attraction to facilitate a safe river swimming environment" and it is hoped that the proposed development will "attract visitors to a revitalised waterfront".
The tender documentation also states that the "outdoor swimming pool will be a unique attraction for Athlone providing a facility for local residents, as well as potential for seasonal uses associated with festivals and other cultural events" with consideration also to be given to additional public uses such as kayaking and canoeing. The provision of a changing village comprising suitable toilet and changing facilities is also to be included in the proposed design plans.
In conjunction with the proposed outdoor swimming pool, the planned riverside boardwalk, the council says, "will provide a platform from which the town's cultural assets can be appreciated" and will be a "unique symbol of the intersection between the River Shannon and the greenway".
Tender documents prepared by the council state that the proposed new boardwalk will be delivered "under the east arch of the town bridge connecting the greenway and River Shannon junction platform to The Strand area of the town" with consideration to be given at an early stage if the amenity will be "fixed at a certain level or will be constructed on floating pontoons". The amenity is intended for combined use by cyclists and pedestrians in a safe environment.
The project will be overseen by a steering group chaired by Westmeath County Council and senior staff from Failte Ireland and the local authority, with progress meetings taking place with the appointed consultant on a monthly basis.
The council is stipulating that the first phase of the project, inception, investigations and concept design will comprise a 16-week timescale from July 2025 to October 2025, the second phase of the project, from November 2025 to September 2026 including option selection, design and environmental evaluation and a statutory process.