Estuary Watch group take fight to minister

A group opposed to locating a EUR10m football academy near the wildlife sanctuary at Turvey/ Rogerstown in Donabate has said it is taking its fight to the Environment Minister John Gormley.

Donabate Estuary Watch is not opposed to the concept of a football academy, but feels that locating it near the internationally recognised Special Protection Aea at Rogerstown is inappropriate.

Chairman of Donabate Estuary Watch Raymond Brett said the group had suggested to Fingal County Council that it would be better to locate the football facility elsewhere.

Donabate Estuary Watch, along with Donabate Portrane Community Council, has sought a meeting with county officials to discuss relocating the facility at the council-owned lands at Ballymastone in Donabate.

'But despite contacting the council management three weeks ago we still have no date for a meeting, which makes us wonder if the council is not determined to dump the facility on top of the ecologically important Rogerstown estuary,' Mr Brett said.

A masterplan, called Nature on Display, was produced by Fingal County Council along with the Department of the Environment setting out how Rogerstown and Turvey could be developed as a community wildlife parkland.

However, Fingal county councillors have not been given this masterplan, he claimed.

Mr Brett said Donabate Estuary Watch intended to give copies of the materplan to the Environment Minister John Gormley and outline to him the poor record of the council in protecting the environment.

He called on councillors to vote down the plans to locate the football facility at Turvey/ Rogerstown at their April meeting.

The proposal involves an indoor soccer pitch, seating for 400 people, five changing rooms, meeting rooms etc and parking for 190 cars and 14 coaches.

Fingal Independent

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