Greystones Chamber of Commerce favours the Marina Plan

This from the Irish Indo':

GREYSTONES Chamber of Commerce has come out strongly in favour of the proposed redevelopment of the harbour in the scenic Wicklow coastal town.
The controversial proposal, which has seen substantial objections from sectors across the country, will cost about €300m over a four to five-year period.
An Bord Pleanála announced that a public hearing into the controversial marina development is to reopen in the coming months.
Wicklow County Council and the Sispar consortium want to build 342 homes and a harbour as part of a public-private partnership (PPP).
Head of the Greystones Chamber of Commerce Ciaran Hayden said the plan will provide a major boost for both the area and the east coast of Ireland.
"This plan is very good for business and for tourism. We think there is a major benefit for this town which will have major potential to have an international marina, based in Greystones, with unrivalled facilities," said Mr Hayden.
At present, marinas in Dun Laoghaire, Howth and Malahide are "maxed out", he said.
"There are 3,000 marina births on the west coast of Wales, yet there are not 700 on the east coast of Ireland. We are miles behind," said Mr Hayden.
Most of the local town councillors favour the plan, but the Greystones Protection and Development Association opposes it.
Under the plan, a total of 342 residential units will be built along with 5,650 square metres of commercial space.
Community facilities are also proposed, including a new town square and a public park. The marina is proposed to be the first part of the development, which is tagged to take 20 months of development time.
Less than half of the submissions about the marina are from the local Greystones area, according to a study undertaken by the Chamber, said Mr Hayden.
"Greystones has evolved from a Victorian village. We have to forget about a Victorian past and move into our future which will have facilities for lots of community groups," he said.
"That is the message that should come across - keep employment local and develop tourism."
Within the commercial development of the area will be restaurants and café bars among other facilities, including a shop for the users of the marina.