MOVES BY Wicklow County Council to amend its planning permission for the €300 million Greystones Harbour redevelopment will require a new environmental impact statement, An Bord Pleanála has ruled.
This is the second time An Bord Pleanála has told the council and its private sector partner, the Sispar consortium, that an environmental impact statement (EIS) is necessary to assess proposed changes.
Work on the marine elements of the harbour are substantially finished, but provision of five club houses for harbour users, a marina, a new town square, a public park and housing are now dependent on Nama which has taken over responsibility for loans associated with the project. The changes proposed by the council and Sispar would see the number of new homes in the scheme increase by 34, to 375, while the commercial space in the development would rise to 6,245sq m.
The council and Sispar have said the additional apartments and commercial space are necessary given changed market conditions since the scheme began in 2007.
It had been hoped that hoardings which have been in place for almost three years could start to come down late next year.
More than €80 million has been invested in the project, principally in a new harbour, which includes space for a 230-berth marina.
The changes the council was seeking were made under part eight of the Planning and Development Act which provides for public consultation but does not provide for an appeal.
However, the effect of An Bord Pleanála’s direction that an EIS is necessary now looks set to delay the project further. A spokesman for the consortium said the decision was being studied. He added the consortium remained committed to the project.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Showing posts with label greystones marina. Show all posts
Showing posts with label greystones marina. Show all posts
Wednesday, 13 April 2011
Thursday, 9 December 2010
Council backs extra homes for Greystones
CHANGES TO a €300 million Greystones harbour redevelopment in Co Wicklow have been referred to An Bord Pleanála.
The changes proposed by Wicklow County Council and its private sector partner, Sispar consortium, would see the number of new homes in the scheme increase to 375, while the commercial space in the development would rise to 6,245sq m.
The original permission by An Bord Pleanála in August 2007 provided for 341 apartments and 5,500sq m of commercial space.
Sispar has said the additional apartments and commercial space are necessary given changed market conditions.
Sispar has invested more than €80 million in the project so far, principally in a new harbour which includes space for a 230-berth marina.
Other public facilities include new clubhouses for existing harbour users, a new town square, a public park and a beach.
Sispar, which has confirmed loans associated with the project have been transferred to Nama, said it planned to complete the project if the changes were approved.
Work on the next phase is scheduled to get under way early next year. Hoardings which have been in place for almost three years could start to come down late next year.
Earlier this year, the council approved a change in the scheme under which a block of apartments was altered to include a medical centre.
The change was made under part eight of the Planning and Development Act which provides for public consultation but does not provide for an appeal.
Yesterday councillors approved by 13 votes to four a second change in the scheme under which the additional houses and alterations to the commercial space would be made.
The latest changes were also made under part eight of the planning Act which provides for public consultation but does not provide for an appeal process.
Part eight is a section frequently used by local authorities when they are seeking planning permission for developments that do not require an environmental impact assessment.
However, council spokesman Seán Quirke said the use of the part eight process on this occasion had already been referred to An Bord Pleanála by “two individuals” who made submissions during the public consultation process.
Mr Quirke said An Bord Pleanála would now have to adjudicate on whether the use of part eight by the council was appropriate.
Fine Gael councillor Derek Mitchell, who has been closely associated with the project, said yesterday he believed the use of part eight was justified.
Mr Mitchell, who signed the original contracts on behalf of the council, said the important thing now was that the scheme would not stop.
He said the change from apartments to medical centre would have support from Nama and would assist in ongoing financing of the project.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The changes proposed by Wicklow County Council and its private sector partner, Sispar consortium, would see the number of new homes in the scheme increase to 375, while the commercial space in the development would rise to 6,245sq m.
The original permission by An Bord Pleanála in August 2007 provided for 341 apartments and 5,500sq m of commercial space.
Sispar has said the additional apartments and commercial space are necessary given changed market conditions.
Sispar has invested more than €80 million in the project so far, principally in a new harbour which includes space for a 230-berth marina.
Other public facilities include new clubhouses for existing harbour users, a new town square, a public park and a beach.
Sispar, which has confirmed loans associated with the project have been transferred to Nama, said it planned to complete the project if the changes were approved.
Work on the next phase is scheduled to get under way early next year. Hoardings which have been in place for almost three years could start to come down late next year.
Earlier this year, the council approved a change in the scheme under which a block of apartments was altered to include a medical centre.
The change was made under part eight of the Planning and Development Act which provides for public consultation but does not provide for an appeal.
Yesterday councillors approved by 13 votes to four a second change in the scheme under which the additional houses and alterations to the commercial space would be made.
The latest changes were also made under part eight of the planning Act which provides for public consultation but does not provide for an appeal process.
Part eight is a section frequently used by local authorities when they are seeking planning permission for developments that do not require an environmental impact assessment.
However, council spokesman Seán Quirke said the use of the part eight process on this occasion had already been referred to An Bord Pleanála by “two individuals” who made submissions during the public consultation process.
Mr Quirke said An Bord Pleanála would now have to adjudicate on whether the use of part eight by the council was appropriate.
Fine Gael councillor Derek Mitchell, who has been closely associated with the project, said yesterday he believed the use of part eight was justified.
Mr Mitchell, who signed the original contracts on behalf of the council, said the important thing now was that the scheme would not stop.
He said the change from apartments to medical centre would have support from Nama and would assist in ongoing financing of the project.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Monday, 28 July 2008
Greystones Marina takes shape
THE FIRST visible sections of a new €300 million marina and housing development for the east coast have started to appear above water at Greystones in Co Wicklow.
Work on replacing the town's crumbling Victorian harbour got underway earlier this year - after more than 100 years of lobbying - with major submarine engineering to lay foundations for the development's north and south sea walls.
To be included in the development are a 230 berth marina, commercial units, leisure facilities, premises for five local clubs, a new coastguard station and - somewhat controversially - 341, mainly apartment homes.
The scheme involves the removal of the former north wall and east pier which were built between 1885 and 1887, and the laying of some 4,000 new concrete blocks - each weighing 28 tonnes. It will also involve the removal of the "Kish" the existing circular end to the east pier which was originally built as a base for the Kish lighthouse, but having been damaged, was moved into position in Greystones as a harbour defence in the mid 1960s.
According to contractor Sispar - a consortium involving John Sisk and Company and Park Developments - the appearance of the new sea walls above water is a significant step. The walls, which will be extended at the rate of 10, 28 tonne slabs a day over the next 15 months, will provide shelter from the Irish sea - a less than hospitable place for a large scale construction project - particularly in an easterly gale.
But it is not just the winter that can throw up difficulties: this is a construction site through which children from the local sailing club regularly navigate their dingies along a marked channel. At the same time a convoy of lorries delivers massive boulders through the town, down to the harbour and along a temporary causeway to a new north wall.
The scale and challenges of the project give rise to wonder at how the Victorians managed to build a harbour at Greystones in the first place. But in fact the Victorian harbour started to decay within years of its completion and By 1895 the north wall was in decay.
The Irish Times records the chief secretary for Ireland Augustine Birrell arrived in 1910 to view the harbour "which was represented to him by the local authorities as being in such a condition of dilapidation that a grant of State money was urgently necessary. . .".
The State money failed to materialise however and 98 years later it is a wonder the harbour lasted as long as it did. The design of the east pier caused waves to bounce upwards with huge sprays making for dramatic scenes frequently enjoyed by customers of the Beach House pub and restaurant overlooking the harbour.
In contrast the new walls are designed to break and absorb the waves on an outside slope. The design involves an outer barricade of concrete blocks with holes in them, called "antifers".
Long-time campaigner for the new harbour and local Fine Gael councillor Derek Mitchell said he has seen antifers in operation at the Bangor Marina in Co Down, and remarked that "waves hit it and appear to vanish into it".
Towns people at least have the consolation that, unusually, the public amenity elements will be provided before the private housing.
In the meantime a project website www.greystonesharbour.ie has been set up and will provide regular updates and photographs as the project progresses.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Work on replacing the town's crumbling Victorian harbour got underway earlier this year - after more than 100 years of lobbying - with major submarine engineering to lay foundations for the development's north and south sea walls.
To be included in the development are a 230 berth marina, commercial units, leisure facilities, premises for five local clubs, a new coastguard station and - somewhat controversially - 341, mainly apartment homes.
The scheme involves the removal of the former north wall and east pier which were built between 1885 and 1887, and the laying of some 4,000 new concrete blocks - each weighing 28 tonnes. It will also involve the removal of the "Kish" the existing circular end to the east pier which was originally built as a base for the Kish lighthouse, but having been damaged, was moved into position in Greystones as a harbour defence in the mid 1960s.
According to contractor Sispar - a consortium involving John Sisk and Company and Park Developments - the appearance of the new sea walls above water is a significant step. The walls, which will be extended at the rate of 10, 28 tonne slabs a day over the next 15 months, will provide shelter from the Irish sea - a less than hospitable place for a large scale construction project - particularly in an easterly gale.
But it is not just the winter that can throw up difficulties: this is a construction site through which children from the local sailing club regularly navigate their dingies along a marked channel. At the same time a convoy of lorries delivers massive boulders through the town, down to the harbour and along a temporary causeway to a new north wall.
The scale and challenges of the project give rise to wonder at how the Victorians managed to build a harbour at Greystones in the first place. But in fact the Victorian harbour started to decay within years of its completion and By 1895 the north wall was in decay.
The Irish Times records the chief secretary for Ireland Augustine Birrell arrived in 1910 to view the harbour "which was represented to him by the local authorities as being in such a condition of dilapidation that a grant of State money was urgently necessary. . .".
The State money failed to materialise however and 98 years later it is a wonder the harbour lasted as long as it did. The design of the east pier caused waves to bounce upwards with huge sprays making for dramatic scenes frequently enjoyed by customers of the Beach House pub and restaurant overlooking the harbour.
In contrast the new walls are designed to break and absorb the waves on an outside slope. The design involves an outer barricade of concrete blocks with holes in them, called "antifers".
Long-time campaigner for the new harbour and local Fine Gael councillor Derek Mitchell said he has seen antifers in operation at the Bangor Marina in Co Down, and remarked that "waves hit it and appear to vanish into it".
Towns people at least have the consolation that, unusually, the public amenity elements will be provided before the private housing.
In the meantime a project website www.greystonesharbour.ie has been set up and will provide regular updates and photographs as the project progresses.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Greystones Marina takes shape
THE FIRST visible sections of a new €300 million marina and housing development for the east coast have started to appear above water at Greystones in Co Wicklow.
Work on replacing the town's crumbling Victorian harbour got underway earlier this year - after more than 100 years of lobbying - with major submarine engineering to lay foundations for the development's north and south sea walls.
To be included in the development are a 230 berth marina, commercial units, leisure facilities, premises for five local clubs, a new coastguard station and - somewhat controversially - 341, mainly apartment homes.
The scheme involves the removal of the former north wall and east pier which were built between 1885 and 1887, and the laying of some 4,000 new concrete blocks - each weighing 28 tonnes. It will also involve the removal of the "Kish" the existing circular end to the east pier which was originally built as a base for the Kish lighthouse, but having been damaged, was moved into position in Greystones as a harbour defence in the mid 1960s.
According to contractor Sispar - a consortium involving John Sisk and Company and Park Developments - the appearance of the new sea walls above water is a significant step. The walls, which will be extended at the rate of 10, 28 tonne slabs a day over the next 15 months, will provide shelter from the Irish sea - a less than hospitable place for a large scale construction project - particularly in an easterly gale.
But it is not just the winter that can throw up difficulties: this is a construction site through which children from the local sailing club regularly navigate their dingies along a marked channel. At the same time a convoy of lorries delivers massive boulders through the town, down to the harbour and along a temporary causeway to a new north wall.
The scale and challenges of the project give rise to wonder at how the Victorians managed to build a harbour at Greystones in the first place. But in fact the Victorian harbour started to decay within years of its completion and By 1895 the north wall was in decay.
The Irish Times records the chief secretary for Ireland Augustine Birrell arrived in 1910 to view the harbour "which was represented to him by the local authorities as being in such a condition of dilapidation that a grant of State money was urgently necessary. . .".
The State money failed to materialise however and 98 years later it is a wonder the harbour lasted as long as it did. The design of the east pier caused waves to bounce upwards with huge sprays making for dramatic scenes frequently enjoyed by customers of the Beach House pub and restaurant overlooking the harbour.
In contrast the new walls are designed to break and absorb the waves on an outside slope. The design involves an outer barricade of concrete blocks with holes in them, called "antifers".
Long-time campaigner for the new harbour and local Fine Gael councillor Derek Mitchell said he has seen antifers in operation at the Bangor Marina in Co Down, and remarked that "waves hit it and appear to vanish into it".
Towns people at least have the consolation that, unusually, the public amenity elements will be provided before the private housing.
In the meantime a project website www.greystonesharbour.ie has been set up and will provide regular updates and photographs as the project progresses.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Work on replacing the town's crumbling Victorian harbour got underway earlier this year - after more than 100 years of lobbying - with major submarine engineering to lay foundations for the development's north and south sea walls.
To be included in the development are a 230 berth marina, commercial units, leisure facilities, premises for five local clubs, a new coastguard station and - somewhat controversially - 341, mainly apartment homes.
The scheme involves the removal of the former north wall and east pier which were built between 1885 and 1887, and the laying of some 4,000 new concrete blocks - each weighing 28 tonnes. It will also involve the removal of the "Kish" the existing circular end to the east pier which was originally built as a base for the Kish lighthouse, but having been damaged, was moved into position in Greystones as a harbour defence in the mid 1960s.
According to contractor Sispar - a consortium involving John Sisk and Company and Park Developments - the appearance of the new sea walls above water is a significant step. The walls, which will be extended at the rate of 10, 28 tonne slabs a day over the next 15 months, will provide shelter from the Irish sea - a less than hospitable place for a large scale construction project - particularly in an easterly gale.
But it is not just the winter that can throw up difficulties: this is a construction site through which children from the local sailing club regularly navigate their dingies along a marked channel. At the same time a convoy of lorries delivers massive boulders through the town, down to the harbour and along a temporary causeway to a new north wall.
The scale and challenges of the project give rise to wonder at how the Victorians managed to build a harbour at Greystones in the first place. But in fact the Victorian harbour started to decay within years of its completion and By 1895 the north wall was in decay.
The Irish Times records the chief secretary for Ireland Augustine Birrell arrived in 1910 to view the harbour "which was represented to him by the local authorities as being in such a condition of dilapidation that a grant of State money was urgently necessary. . .".
The State money failed to materialise however and 98 years later it is a wonder the harbour lasted as long as it did. The design of the east pier caused waves to bounce upwards with huge sprays making for dramatic scenes frequently enjoyed by customers of the Beach House pub and restaurant overlooking the harbour.
In contrast the new walls are designed to break and absorb the waves on an outside slope. The design involves an outer barricade of concrete blocks with holes in them, called "antifers".
Long-time campaigner for the new harbour and local Fine Gael councillor Derek Mitchell said he has seen antifers in operation at the Bangor Marina in Co Down, and remarked that "waves hit it and appear to vanish into it".
Towns people at least have the consolation that, unusually, the public amenity elements will be provided before the private housing.
In the meantime a project website www.greystonesharbour.ie has been set up and will provide regular updates and photographs as the project progresses.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 6 January 2008
Marina scheme spells the end for Greystones surfers
Surfers from the East Coast Surf Club caught their final few waves at Greystones harbour, Co Wicklow, yesterday, before its closure for a €300 million redevelopment programme, which begins next week.
Kevin Cavey, who in 1965 founded the club, then known as the Bray Head Surf Club, said its 155 members were unlikely to be able to surf at the harbour even after the development was completed.
"Mostly when a marina goes in it kills off the natural wave, so it is unlikely that we will be able to return to Greystones because the surf won't break there anymore, it will just be backwash."
The end of surfing at Greystones follows the recent closure of several popular surfing areas by private developers in the Brittas Bay area of Wicklow, Mr Cavey said.
"Greystones is just another casualty in the diminishing access to surfing beaches."
The new harbour, due to be completed in 2012, will include a 230-berth marina, 341 residential units and 5,500sq m of commercial units, incorporating cafes and restaurants.
Wicklow County Council received planning permission for the development from An Bórd Pleanála last August following two oral hearings, despite strong local opposition to the scheme.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Kevin Cavey, who in 1965 founded the club, then known as the Bray Head Surf Club, said its 155 members were unlikely to be able to surf at the harbour even after the development was completed.
"Mostly when a marina goes in it kills off the natural wave, so it is unlikely that we will be able to return to Greystones because the surf won't break there anymore, it will just be backwash."
The end of surfing at Greystones follows the recent closure of several popular surfing areas by private developers in the Brittas Bay area of Wicklow, Mr Cavey said.
"Greystones is just another casualty in the diminishing access to surfing beaches."
The new harbour, due to be completed in 2012, will include a 230-berth marina, 341 residential units and 5,500sq m of commercial units, incorporating cafes and restaurants.
Wicklow County Council received planning permission for the development from An Bórd Pleanála last August following two oral hearings, despite strong local opposition to the scheme.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 30 December 2007
Wicklow harbour set for huge development
A €300m contract has been signed for the redevelopment of Greystones Harbour in Co. Wicklow.
The development will include a new marina, public square, apartment complex, restaurants and shops.
Wicklow County Council has said it will revitalise what is now a derelict harbour in the town.
Sispar Developments has been awarded the contract.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
The development will include a new marina, public square, apartment complex, restaurants and shops.
Wicklow County Council has said it will revitalise what is now a derelict harbour in the town.
Sispar Developments has been awarded the contract.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
Wicklow harbour set for huge development
A €300m contract has been signed for the redevelopment of Greystones Harbour in Co. Wicklow.
The development will include a new marina, public square, apartment complex, restaurants and shops.
Wicklow County Council has said it will revitalise what is now a derelict harbour in the town.
Sispar Developments has been awarded the contract.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
The development will include a new marina, public square, apartment complex, restaurants and shops.
Wicklow County Council has said it will revitalise what is now a derelict harbour in the town.
Sispar Developments has been awarded the contract.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 19 August 2007
Opponents may legally challenge Greystones plan
I was away during the week, so I am just posting this story from Tuesday last now.
Opponents of a €300 million redevelopment scheme for Greystones harbour in Co Wicklow are to meet next week to examine grounds for a legal challenge to the scheme.
The move will follow a meeting this week between Wicklow County Council and its private sector partners, the Sispar consortium, aimed at setting a five-year construction timetable for the project.
Envisaged in the redevelopment of the harbour is a modern marina, some 5,500sq m of commercial units and 341 new homes, a public park and new premises for existing harbour users.
The council, which is to provide some 70 acres for the project, said it has already begun work on redesigning access to the site and implementing a traffic management programme in the local area, as required by Bord Pleanála.
The council hopes land-based construction work will begin this year, with major marine works starting next spring. Last week, a council spokesman said the commitment to providing the new harbour in advance of 341 new homes, planned as part of the development, remained intact.
However, speaking yesterday, Fiachra Etchingham of the Greystones Protection and Development Association (GPDA) said legal moves to halt the scheme were being examined. The association was looking at a number of aspects of the board's decision as well as the processes used by the council to acquire land for the development, he added.
The council originally owned about 40 acres of the 70-acre site and used the compulsory purchase order system to acquire the remainder. However, the GPDA has questioned the use of the system to acquire the foreshore, which they claim is constitutionally complicated.
The association is also anxious to see details of a wave-modelling scheme commissioned by Sispar, which would demonstrate the suitability of the harbour piers to withstand easterly gales. Mr Etchingham said such detail was denied to the planning inquiry, despite repeated requests.
Should there be no challenge, construction is to take place over the next five years. Much concrete manufacturing activity is to be carried out on site in an effort to minimise the number of lorries servicing the site by road.
The council is also required to carry out detailed archaeological works on the site in advance of construction. Two of the 13 conditions imposed on Sispar in the grant of planning permission relate to detailed archaeological surveys in the area of the proposed cement plants and at a former football field.
Included in the project is the rebuilding of the old Victorian harbour. A lighthouse base originally intended for the Kish bank is to be removed. Also set to go is a crumbling north wall.
Tim O'Brien
2007 The Irish Times
Opponents of a €300 million redevelopment scheme for Greystones harbour in Co Wicklow are to meet next week to examine grounds for a legal challenge to the scheme.
The move will follow a meeting this week between Wicklow County Council and its private sector partners, the Sispar consortium, aimed at setting a five-year construction timetable for the project.
Envisaged in the redevelopment of the harbour is a modern marina, some 5,500sq m of commercial units and 341 new homes, a public park and new premises for existing harbour users.
The council, which is to provide some 70 acres for the project, said it has already begun work on redesigning access to the site and implementing a traffic management programme in the local area, as required by Bord Pleanála.
The council hopes land-based construction work will begin this year, with major marine works starting next spring. Last week, a council spokesman said the commitment to providing the new harbour in advance of 341 new homes, planned as part of the development, remained intact.
However, speaking yesterday, Fiachra Etchingham of the Greystones Protection and Development Association (GPDA) said legal moves to halt the scheme were being examined. The association was looking at a number of aspects of the board's decision as well as the processes used by the council to acquire land for the development, he added.
The council originally owned about 40 acres of the 70-acre site and used the compulsory purchase order system to acquire the remainder. However, the GPDA has questioned the use of the system to acquire the foreshore, which they claim is constitutionally complicated.
The association is also anxious to see details of a wave-modelling scheme commissioned by Sispar, which would demonstrate the suitability of the harbour piers to withstand easterly gales. Mr Etchingham said such detail was denied to the planning inquiry, despite repeated requests.
Should there be no challenge, construction is to take place over the next five years. Much concrete manufacturing activity is to be carried out on site in an effort to minimise the number of lorries servicing the site by road.
The council is also required to carry out detailed archaeological works on the site in advance of construction. Two of the 13 conditions imposed on Sispar in the grant of planning permission relate to detailed archaeological surveys in the area of the proposed cement plants and at a former football field.
Included in the project is the rebuilding of the old Victorian harbour. A lighthouse base originally intended for the Kish bank is to be removed. Also set to go is a crumbling north wall.
Tim O'Brien
2007 The Irish Times
Monday, 13 August 2007
€300m scheme given green light from the planning board
AN BORD Pleanala has granted planning permission for a controversial €300m marina development at Greystones in Co Wicklow.
In what was one of the longest planning processes ever adjudicated on by the Board, permission was granted subject to 13 conditions yesterday and work is expected to begin next spring.
Over 6,000 people had objected to the plans, first lodged in December 2004, but the board found the development was in keeping with the area.
The massive project will include a 230-berth marina, new retail facilities including cafes and restaurants, 5,625 square metres of commercial development and 341 residential units.
A new public square at the harbour and a new beach will also be provided, along with sailing facilities.
Dump
An inert landfill, the old town dump, which is on the site, must be treated and no homes built on it. The project should be complete in the autumn of 2012.
Wicklow County Council, which is developing the marina with private developer, the Sispar consortium, local councillors and the Greystones Chamber of Commerce, all said they were "delighted" with the Board's decision, but opponents said local people had not been listened to.
"We're hugely disappointed," Evelyn Cawley of Greystones Protection and Development Association said.
"The end result doesn't reflect our views. It's a huge development and there's no doubt that Wicklow County Council will benefit.
"It's disheartening to see this, given the huge public disquiet about it. Obviously the public wasn't listened to."
Planning permission was originally sought for the development in December 2004, and the plans were scaled down by 10pc after the Board raised a number of concerns with the developer late last year about the scale of the project.
The revised plans would not have "significant adverse effects on the environment", the Board found, and would constitute an "appropriate development proposal in terms of land use, scale and visual amenity, would be acceptable in terms of traffic safety and convenience, would not be prejudicial to public health and would therefore be consistent with the proper planning and the sustainable development of the area".
Greystones Chamber of Commerce said that new jobs would be created and the marina would attract tourists to the area. "We very much welcome it," said Chamber president Derrick McGovern.
"It's something we've supported for many years, and I think it will bring a lot of jobs and will be great for tourism."
Sean Quirke, Director of Services, with Wicklow Co Council, said it was hoped that work would begin in the spring and the project would take up to five years to complete. Fifty million euro worth of public infrastructure would be provided under the plans.
In a unanimous decision, the Board also approved the acquisition of 36 acres of the foreshore to facilitate development.
It is the first time the public foreshore has been subject to a compulsory purchase order to facilitate a private developer, and opponents said it would set a dangerous precedent.
The Department of Finance must approve the sale, but there was no indication last night as to how much the council will pay. Land in Greystones currently commands about €1m an acre.
The conditions include a requirement that material needed to re-instate the beach must be shipped in by seas to the harbour instead of being transported through the town in order to reduce traffic movements.
The old town dump will be treated and remain on the site, and the public park will be built above it.
The Board also ordered that a committee be established made up of the council, Sispar - a consortium of John Sisk and Son and Park Developments - and local interest groups.
Opponents of the project will meet in the coming days to decide if they will seek a judicial review of the decision.
Paul Melia
Irish Examiner
In what was one of the longest planning processes ever adjudicated on by the Board, permission was granted subject to 13 conditions yesterday and work is expected to begin next spring.
Over 6,000 people had objected to the plans, first lodged in December 2004, but the board found the development was in keeping with the area.
The massive project will include a 230-berth marina, new retail facilities including cafes and restaurants, 5,625 square metres of commercial development and 341 residential units.
A new public square at the harbour and a new beach will also be provided, along with sailing facilities.
Dump
An inert landfill, the old town dump, which is on the site, must be treated and no homes built on it. The project should be complete in the autumn of 2012.
Wicklow County Council, which is developing the marina with private developer, the Sispar consortium, local councillors and the Greystones Chamber of Commerce, all said they were "delighted" with the Board's decision, but opponents said local people had not been listened to.
"We're hugely disappointed," Evelyn Cawley of Greystones Protection and Development Association said.
"The end result doesn't reflect our views. It's a huge development and there's no doubt that Wicklow County Council will benefit.
"It's disheartening to see this, given the huge public disquiet about it. Obviously the public wasn't listened to."
Planning permission was originally sought for the development in December 2004, and the plans were scaled down by 10pc after the Board raised a number of concerns with the developer late last year about the scale of the project.
The revised plans would not have "significant adverse effects on the environment", the Board found, and would constitute an "appropriate development proposal in terms of land use, scale and visual amenity, would be acceptable in terms of traffic safety and convenience, would not be prejudicial to public health and would therefore be consistent with the proper planning and the sustainable development of the area".
Greystones Chamber of Commerce said that new jobs would be created and the marina would attract tourists to the area. "We very much welcome it," said Chamber president Derrick McGovern.
"It's something we've supported for many years, and I think it will bring a lot of jobs and will be great for tourism."
Sean Quirke, Director of Services, with Wicklow Co Council, said it was hoped that work would begin in the spring and the project would take up to five years to complete. Fifty million euro worth of public infrastructure would be provided under the plans.
In a unanimous decision, the Board also approved the acquisition of 36 acres of the foreshore to facilitate development.
It is the first time the public foreshore has been subject to a compulsory purchase order to facilitate a private developer, and opponents said it would set a dangerous precedent.
The Department of Finance must approve the sale, but there was no indication last night as to how much the council will pay. Land in Greystones currently commands about €1m an acre.
The conditions include a requirement that material needed to re-instate the beach must be shipped in by seas to the harbour instead of being transported through the town in order to reduce traffic movements.
The old town dump will be treated and remain on the site, and the public park will be built above it.
The Board also ordered that a committee be established made up of the council, Sispar - a consortium of John Sisk and Son and Park Developments - and local interest groups.
Opponents of the project will meet in the coming days to decide if they will seek a judicial review of the decision.
Paul Melia
Irish Examiner
Development welcomed by most 'if buildings not too high'
Mixed reaction to Greystones Marina Decision
Peter Holland
"I have lived in Greystones for a year and I am absolutely delighted at the plans for the harbour.
"It will be very good for the area. People down here don't want any movement, everything takes 11 or 12 years to get done.
"I retired down here and it is a great place to live. I have a boat moored in Dun Laoghaire but I will be able to move it here now with the new berths that will be put in.
"There is a seven-year wait to leave your boat here so now I will be able to have it in the area."
Bernadette Kilfeather
"I would support the development going ahead up to a certain point, but I am sceptical.
"If I position myself on the economical side of the argument, it will be a plus for Greystones and I would say 'yes' for the development.
"However, this is as long as they respect the environment and they stay reasonable on the height of the buildings. If that can bring something positive to Greystones, then I am in support.
"I am very sceptical because so far, I have seen huge buildings all around Dublin and the surrounding areas. I'm very scared to see people developing too much.
"Hopefully it will develop the local economy and people will be able to work in their community rather than having to commute to Dublin.
"I have lived here for two years and we wouldn't change that for anything in the world."
Melanie Smullen
"I don't agree with the development because I like Greystones the way that it is at the moment.
"It will make the area bigger and more commercial than what is here already. I have lived here all of my life.
"I would like it cleaned up a bit, but I wouldn't like to see a big marina put in so it would be changed into Dun Laoghaire.
"There has been a lot of houses built in the Charlesland area outside Greystones village and there has been such a flood of houses everywhere.
"They are just building and building houses and I think there is enough of them at this stage."
Esther Holland
"It will be great for Greystones from all points of view.
"It will be very good for business with the restaurants and other retail outlets which will be in place.
"We were just looking at the beach house on the coast, which needs to be cleaned up. The whole area is very run down and needs to be cleaned up.
"It could wash away some weekend."
Gary Nother
"I have lived in Greystones for the last 14 years and am in favour of the development going ahead.
"I am retired and walk the seafront every day, but I have never seen any of the people who were opposed to the development walking down here.
"There was a lot of people looking for me to sign petitions, but I never see them down here.
"Under the plans, there will be hundreds of houses and apartments built, one of which I may be interested in to move to because I am retired."
Tim Jones
"I think the harbour needs to be redone and developed. It has fallen into decay over the last few years.
"I don't know why there was so much local opposition to the development. There will be more apartments available for young people in the area."
Peter Holland
"I have lived in Greystones for a year and I am absolutely delighted at the plans for the harbour.
"It will be very good for the area. People down here don't want any movement, everything takes 11 or 12 years to get done.
"I retired down here and it is a great place to live. I have a boat moored in Dun Laoghaire but I will be able to move it here now with the new berths that will be put in.
"There is a seven-year wait to leave your boat here so now I will be able to have it in the area."
Bernadette Kilfeather
"I would support the development going ahead up to a certain point, but I am sceptical.
"If I position myself on the economical side of the argument, it will be a plus for Greystones and I would say 'yes' for the development.
"However, this is as long as they respect the environment and they stay reasonable on the height of the buildings. If that can bring something positive to Greystones, then I am in support.
"I am very sceptical because so far, I have seen huge buildings all around Dublin and the surrounding areas. I'm very scared to see people developing too much.
"Hopefully it will develop the local economy and people will be able to work in their community rather than having to commute to Dublin.
"I have lived here for two years and we wouldn't change that for anything in the world."
Melanie Smullen
"I don't agree with the development because I like Greystones the way that it is at the moment.
"It will make the area bigger and more commercial than what is here already. I have lived here all of my life.
"I would like it cleaned up a bit, but I wouldn't like to see a big marina put in so it would be changed into Dun Laoghaire.
"There has been a lot of houses built in the Charlesland area outside Greystones village and there has been such a flood of houses everywhere.
"They are just building and building houses and I think there is enough of them at this stage."
Esther Holland
"It will be great for Greystones from all points of view.
"It will be very good for business with the restaurants and other retail outlets which will be in place.
"We were just looking at the beach house on the coast, which needs to be cleaned up. The whole area is very run down and needs to be cleaned up.
"It could wash away some weekend."
Gary Nother
"I have lived in Greystones for the last 14 years and am in favour of the development going ahead.
"I am retired and walk the seafront every day, but I have never seen any of the people who were opposed to the development walking down here.
"There was a lot of people looking for me to sign petitions, but I never see them down here.
"Under the plans, there will be hundreds of houses and apartments built, one of which I may be interested in to move to because I am retired."
Tim Jones
"I think the harbour needs to be redone and developed. It has fallen into decay over the last few years.
"I don't know why there was so much local opposition to the development. There will be more apartments available for young people in the area."
Friday, 2 March 2007
Public given another chance to query €300m marina proposals
A PUBLIC hearing into a controversial marina development in Co Wicklow will re-open at the end of the month.
The move comes after An Bord Pleanala, using new powers, suggested changes to the €300m project at Greystones planned by Wicklow County Council and a consortium of developers. The re-opened hearing on March 29 will allow the public to question contentious elements of the plan. It is expected to last two days, but could go on longer if necessary.
It will re-open almost a year to the day after the original An Bord Pleanala hearing began.
There has been massive opposition to the development, which has been objected to by thousands of Greystones residents, but is supported by most town councillors.
The original plans included a new Coast Guard station, beach area, a public boardwalk and 6,400 square metres (20,997 square feet) of commercial units. A 15-acre park and a 230-berth marina with a public slipway were also part of the plan.
But An Bord Pleanala asked the council to submit revised plans which would reduce the number of houses and remove apartment blocks close to Victorian housing in the area.
The revised plans included building over 340 houses and apartments, a 236-berth marina, more than 5,500 square metres of commercial space and provision of one of the largest public squares in Ireland.
Some 3,700 people made submissions on the revised plans, but opponents from the Greystones Protection and Development Association feel the development will not only make the 120-year old harbour look unsightly but will generate too much traffic.
Residents have also taken issue with plans to create a concrete batching plant near houses, and proposals on removing the old town dump from the beachfront.
They are also concerned about environmental issues and proposals to ship vast amounts of sand to replenish the beach.
Paul Melia
© Irish Independent
The move comes after An Bord Pleanala, using new powers, suggested changes to the €300m project at Greystones planned by Wicklow County Council and a consortium of developers. The re-opened hearing on March 29 will allow the public to question contentious elements of the plan. It is expected to last two days, but could go on longer if necessary.
It will re-open almost a year to the day after the original An Bord Pleanala hearing began.
There has been massive opposition to the development, which has been objected to by thousands of Greystones residents, but is supported by most town councillors.
The original plans included a new Coast Guard station, beach area, a public boardwalk and 6,400 square metres (20,997 square feet) of commercial units. A 15-acre park and a 230-berth marina with a public slipway were also part of the plan.
But An Bord Pleanala asked the council to submit revised plans which would reduce the number of houses and remove apartment blocks close to Victorian housing in the area.
The revised plans included building over 340 houses and apartments, a 236-berth marina, more than 5,500 square metres of commercial space and provision of one of the largest public squares in Ireland.
Some 3,700 people made submissions on the revised plans, but opponents from the Greystones Protection and Development Association feel the development will not only make the 120-year old harbour look unsightly but will generate too much traffic.
Residents have also taken issue with plans to create a concrete batching plant near houses, and proposals on removing the old town dump from the beachfront.
They are also concerned about environmental issues and proposals to ship vast amounts of sand to replenish the beach.
Paul Melia
© Irish Independent
Sunday, 7 January 2007
New Harbour Plans on Display this week
See previous note. I forgot to say that the people of Greystones have three weeks in which to examine the new proposals for the development of housing and a marina at Greystones harbour. The plans went on display on 4 January and the public have until 29m January to examine the new proposals and submit their opinions to An Bord Pleanala.
The plans have not changed significantly from the proposals which were so comprehensively rejected by the community last Spring. Some of the apartments have been moved and the overall number of apartments has been reduced by 8. The height of the blocks has not been altered. The main concerns for the community appear to be visual intrusiveness, failure to respect the character of the harbour area, loss of public amenities, traffic congestion and issues arising from disturbance of the dump.
Copies of the new plans are available on CD or in printed form from Greystones Town Council offices or Greystones Library. The CD costs €5 and the printed version €50. However a copy is available to inspect free of charge. Unlike the last time it is not expected that there will be a large public exhibition.
Submissions on the plans must be sent to:
The Secretary
An Bord Pleanala
64 Marlborough St.
Dublin 1
The plans have not changed significantly from the proposals which were so comprehensively rejected by the community last Spring. Some of the apartments have been moved and the overall number of apartments has been reduced by 8. The height of the blocks has not been altered. The main concerns for the community appear to be visual intrusiveness, failure to respect the character of the harbour area, loss of public amenities, traffic congestion and issues arising from disturbance of the dump.
Copies of the new plans are available on CD or in printed form from Greystones Town Council offices or Greystones Library. The CD costs €5 and the printed version €50. However a copy is available to inspect free of charge. Unlike the last time it is not expected that there will be a large public exhibition.
Submissions on the plans must be sent to:
The Secretary
An Bord Pleanala
64 Marlborough St.
Dublin 1
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