Arklow objectors fear risk to habitat of bats

OBJECTORS TO a planned €180 million commercial development in Arklow, Co Wicklow, have raised concerns about the likely impact of the development on a habitat of bats.

A long list of objections to the Alps project in the centre of the town has been submitted by four parties opposed to the plan.

In the last couple of weeks the town council has given the green light to the proposed development, incorporating shops, offices, apartments and a 93-bed hotel.

The scheme is now likely to go back to An Bord Pleanála for a final decision.

All four objectors live close to the proposed Alps development, off Main Street. In one submission they expressed concern about the impact it would have on bats. It is thought that the ruins of Ormonde Castle are now a habitat for bats.

An environmental impact statement showed no signs of bats or badgers but said the presence of such animals could not be ruled out. Appropriate mitigation measures for bats and badgers have been recommended as a precautionary measure to protect the possibility of these species using the site, it said.

An engineer’s report described the castle as crucial to the development. “There should be no interference with any portion of the castle and, in fact where feasible, the appearance shall be improved and exposed for visitors to the site.”

Dublin developer Graham Quinn, who is behind the Alps development, said the project would invigorate and energise Arklow’s town centre, which has been in decline in recent years.

The Irish Times

www.buckplanning.ie

Commerical units approved for Arklow

Permission has been granted for the construction of a new commercial and resdiential development on the Wexford Road in Arklow.An application which was lodged with Arklow Town Council in October of last year by Michael and Daragh Kavanagh includes plans for a basement car park with 90 spaces, 10 ground floor commercial units and 12 penthouse apartments with roof gardens and pri

Permission has been granted for the construction of a new commercial and resdiential development on the Wexford Road in Arklow.

An application which was lodged with Arklow Town Council in October of last year by Michael and Daragh Kavanagh includes plans for a basement car park with 90 spaces, 10 ground floor commercial units and 12 penthouse apartments with roof gardens and private access.

Conditional permission has now been granted.

Demolition work of the exisiting structures on the site must commence before any building work can progress.

Wicklow People

www.buckplanning.ie

Commerical units approved for Arklow

Permission has been granted for the construction of a new commercial and resdiential development on the Wexford Road in Arklow.An application which was lodged with Arklow Town Council in October of last year by Michael and Daragh Kavanagh includes plans for a basement car park with 90 spaces, 10 ground floor commercial units and 12 penthouse apartments with roof gardens and pri

Permission has been granted for the construction of a new commercial and resdiential development on the Wexford Road in Arklow.

An application which was lodged with Arklow Town Council in October of last year by Michael and Daragh Kavanagh includes plans for a basement car park with 90 spaces, 10 ground floor commercial units and 12 penthouse apartments with roof gardens and private access.

Conditional permission has now been granted.

Demolition work of the exisiting structures on the site must commence before any building work can progress.

Wicklow People

www.buckplanning.ie

Dempsey blasts sewage objectors

An Arklow Town Councillor has said that objectors to the proposed sewage treatment plant which has been at the centre of a saga for over 10 years should be blamed if the water supply scheme also does not go ahead.With the EU grant schemes changed since the funding was initially secured for both of the projects, Cllr. Peter Dempsey commented that if it had been done years ago, w

An Arklow Town Councillor has said that objectors to the proposed sewage treatment plant which has been at the centre of a saga for over 10 years should be blamed if the water supply scheme also does not go ahead.

With the EU grant schemes changed since the funding was initially secured for both of the projects, Cllr. Peter Dempsey commented that if it had been done years ago, when it was first planned, then there would be no issue regarding the funding today.

Due to these same objectors we now find that at least 33 per cent of the cost of the plant will have to be funded by the Town Council with the rest of the money coming from the Government.

Had the scheme gone ahead in the early nineties Europe would have funded 85 per cent with 15 per cent coming from the Government,' he pointed out.

Deborah Coleman
Wicklow People

www.buckplanning.ie

398 homes for Arklow site with no town sewerage plant in place

GANNON HOMES is about to apply for planning permission to Arklow Town Council for a new neighbourhood at Tinahask, in Upper Wicklow bounded by the Dublin-Wexford railway line and Arklow Golf Club.

The site is part of a 98-acre master plan, comprising 398 dwellings, in a mix of three and four-bed houses, duplexes and triplexes in 11 blocks ranging form three to five storeys.

The plan also includes 40 shop units, a supermarket, off-licence, 24 office suites and a financial service unit, seven medical suites, two pubs, a café, restaurants with hot food take-away, two betting offices, two crechès, two playgrounds and a park.

Irish Times

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Council has until April to purchase €2.2m site

Arklow Town Council has begun discussions on a potential new town hall, council office, library, courtroom and community facility on the old Tesco site on the Wexford Road.The council has an option to buy the property for the fire-sale price of €2.2 million, but the offer runs out in April.

Arklow Town Council has begun discussions on a potential new town hall, council office, library, courtroom and community facility on the old Tesco site on the Wexford Road.

The council has an option to buy the property for the fire-sale price of €2.2 million, but the offer runs out in April.

Bryan Doyle, Wicklow County Council director of services (environment), said the management from the county council, town council and library had met to discuss a possible joint venture.

He said the court service was also interested in the project.

Cllr. Dr. Bill O'Connell said the council should also look at a link-up with the Wicklow VEC, which is looking for new premises in Arklow, but is prevented from purchasing its own property.

The one-stop shop could be the perfect solution for cramped council staff, and will also satisfy traders and town councillors, who don't want the new council offices built on existing council land near the leisure centre.

Cllr. Donal O'Sullivan said the Tesco site (which he secured a council purchase option on after dropping an objection to the new Tesco store) was too good an opportunity to miss.

It would be absolute lunacy to pass on this,' he said.

We have funding coming in from the Eirgas acquisition and a substantial increase in out rates base (thanks to Bridgewater).'

The council would be forced to borrow the money to actually build the facility, which requires ministerial approval.

If we are not allowed to borrow the money, we should find whatever idiot in the department is responsible and bash his head against the wall.'

Mr. Doyle said the parties would continue to explore the issue before making a final decision before April.

Wicklow People

www.buckplanning.ie

An Bord Pleanála defer verdict on Tesco petrol station appeal

An Bord Pleanála has deferred its verdict on an appeal to Tesco's bid to build a petrol station beside their Arklow supermarket.

The planning regulator was due to decide on an appeal to Tesco's plans, but have delayed their decision until July 24.

Arklow Town Council approved the company's plans for the petrol station, but an objection was lodged with the Bord in December.

At the time, Tesco chiefs said the objection had come from rival fuel-seller Petrogas (who own the Applegreen station and lease the Discount Fuels station, both near the intended Tesco Wexford Road site).

Tesco Ireland Development Support Manager Michael Sullivan said he believed the Bord Pleanala objection was more about restricting a possible competitor than concern for planning and urban development in Arklow.

At the end of the day this seems to be a strange situation where we have two Petrogas stations on one road very close to Tesco, but the objection comes from Petrogas in Gorey.'

The Bord Pleanála objection is in the name of Adrian Giffney, a Rathnew resident, who is the franchisee of the Discount Fuels station in Gorey. (Petrogas is the leaseholder.)

But both Mr Giffney and Petrogas director Michael O'Loughlin said in February that Petrogas had nothing to do with the objection.

Mr Giffney's appeal is based on the grounds that the Tesco station underutilises prime town centre space and is contrary to Arklow's Development Plan.

The proposed development is contrary to strategic planning principles because it will result in the waste of over an acre of land for a petrol filling station that is commercially driven and anti-competitive through the use of discount fuel vouchers,' the appeal documents state.

The appeal also claims the development is located on lands not zoned for that purpose and could create traffic chaos on the Wexford Road.

Our own experience of Tesco's petrol filling station is the traffic havoc that regularly occurs at their Dundrum and Clarehall stations where motorists queue from the public road network to the station forecourt.'

Wicklow People

Developer may face legal action over unfinished estate Town Council seek legal advice over Cré na Mara

Arklow Town Council is taking legal advice to resolve a litany of problems at Arklow's Cré na Mara housing estate.

The council has prepared a 10-point list of areas where the three-year-old estate does not meet the conditions of its original planning permission, including landscaping, road surfacing and traffic signage.

Town clerk Des Nicholls said the next step was possible action against the developer, Liam Mellon Construction, in the District Court.

The council issued an enforcement notice and the matter has now been referred to our law agents,' he stated.

Cré na Mara residents claim that they have been waiting for years for the estate to be finished and received no response to a recent invitation to meet with the builder to discuss the problems.

But Mr Mellon claimed this week that all outstanding work at the estate would be done by the end of June.

It takes so long to get the contractors,' Mr Mellon explained.

Residents' Association committee member Geraldine Hogan said problems included odours from sewerage pipes through the estate, poor road surfacing, no street signage and no landscaping.

Ms Hogan said that last year she was forced to move her children from the front bedroom of the house to a rear bedroom because the smell from the sewer had got so bad.

The 45 houses on the three-year-old estate are worth around €350,000 each.

We haven't even got a name sign for the estate yet,' Ms Hogan said.

Mr Mellon said he was not aware of any recent requests from the residents to meet with him.

We're in there on Monday,' he said this week.

There will be shrubs, tree planting, stop signs and ramps going in.'

Last year we went in and stood on our head for them getting seeding done before their open day,' Mr Mellon said.

He blamed weather, contractor availability and other factors for the delays in finishing off the estate.

Wicklow People

Proposed development could mean a return to parking nightmare for Tea Lane resident Pensioner fears being blocked in own home

Years of parking misery have ended for an elderly resident of Tea Lane, Arklow, but he still fears the bad old days of being blocked in his own house by illegally parked cars could soon return.

Tom Kavanagh, 70, said after years of stress and worry, recent town council works had finally fixed the problem of cars blocking the narrow entrance of Tea Lane onto the Coolgreaney Road.

A yellow box has been painted and bollards erected to deter errant parkers.

But Mr Kavanagh fears a proposal for a three-story commercial development on the contentious corner could mean a return to the bad old days.

Arklow Town Council approved the development, even though it provided only two of the required 11 on-site car parking spaces, and Mr Kavanagh and another resident objected to An Bord Pleanála.

The Bord was due to adjudicate on the matter yesterday (Wednesday) but have pushed back their decision until June 22.

The council have done a good job but if this other building goes in it could get bad again,' he said.

My health and that of my wife has been ruined with the stress of the parking.'

If it wasn't for the doctor I'd be dead now over this.'

Mr Kavanagh said in the past he had been frequently blocked in and unable to leave his own driveway. He said he had also been threatened after confronting illegal parkers.

Meanwhile, another application for a two storey office development further along Tea Lane was this week rejected by Arklow Town Council, partly because it didn't provide enough parking spaces.

Four objections had been lodged to the development, which was submitted in the name of Tony Molloy. Mr Kavanagh, who was one of the objectors, welcomed the decision.

The council's work at Tea Lane has even earned envious praise from other residents' associations.

They've done a great job there and other associations should work with the council to see what can be done in their own areas,' said Ferrybank Residents' Association PRO Liam Keogh.

Wicklow People

Outcry over discharge of raw sewage into river

A poster protesting against the discharge of raw sewage into the Avoca river in Arklow, Co Wicklow, and the lack of any sewage treatment facilities for the town, has been placed in the middle of the river.
The poster erected by Independent town councillor Peter Dempsey, shows a cartoon figure sitting on a toilet alongside the words: "Cut the crap, stop the objections, Arklow needs its sewage plant now."
A sewage treatment facility was originally planned for the town 14 years ago, but its development has been held up because of objections to the council's site selection.
An Bord Pleanála finally granted permission for construction of the plant at Seabank, on the coast near Arklow town, in January 2005; however, the decision was appealed to the High Court by Arklow Holidays Ltd, a company that owns a caravan park at Seabank.
The case will come before the court again on July 10th and work cannot commence on the plant unless the court decides against the appellants.
Mr Dempsey said the delays were unacceptable. "While this is being dragged through the court, turds are running down the river less than 30ft from people's front doors," he said.
The smell from the river was particularly bad during the summer months, he said, in addition to the public health risks posed by raw sewage.
"The stink is absolutely vile. We're going to have a typhoid epidemic on our hands unless something is done about this."
Olivia Kelly
© 2007 The Irish Times

Allegations that 'something dodgy' is going on Further delay to sewage plant hearing slammed

A further delay to a crucial High Court hearing on Arklow's long-awaited sewage treatment plant at Seabank has prompted allegations that 'something dodgy' was going on.

Environment Minister Dick Roche and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern were called upon to urgently intervene in the case, which has dragged on for the past 12 years.

The case was due to be heard before Judge Clarke in the Commercial Court this week, but the case has been put back until May 8.

'That is downright disgraceful,' barked Cllr Peter Dempsey. 'Who caused this adjournment?', yelled Cllr Bill O'Connell.

Cllr Nicky Kelly dubbed the case 'the major scandal in the (legal) system at the moment', saying 'the town has been held to ransom for the past 12 years'.

The lack of any town sewage treatments facilities has severely limited development in Arklow and caused it to be one of Ireland's worst culprits for raw sewage outflows into the ocean.

Councillors learned of the delay after a letter from the council's solicitors was read out at last week's meeting, prompting a seething reaction.

Cllr Pat Fitzgerald wondered whether the recent planning application for a rival private sewerage treatment plant at Ballyraine Lower (which would be capable of catering for the town's needs) had anything to do with the delay.

'There's something peculiar going on here. I hope this application up the river here (at Ballyraine Lower) is not being taken into account by the judge.'

Cllr Bernie O'Halloran agreed, saying 'It seems there's something dodgy going on here. Had the (Ballyraine Lower) application been run of the mill, a decision would have been made before our hearing date.'

Cllr Donal O'Sullivan said if council planners found the Ballyraine Lower site had any merit 'it blows us out of the water, because we say ours (Seabank) is the best site.'

Cllr Peter Dempsey urged council officials to 'get the barristers here' to explain the delay.

'We're getting it in the neck out there (on this issue).

Bertie should make a ruling on it. We have been waiting too bloody long and I can't see anything being done before the election'.

Cllr Nicky Kelly vented his spleen, saying 'I don't care if the senior counsel of An Bord Pleanala is sick (which caused another delay to the case late last year). Get somebody else.

'We have the Minister for the Environment in our own county yet we can't fix the thing that is ruining our local environment.'

He said with three days of hearings scheduled, the judge would almost certainly reserve judgement then there was a likely appeal to the Supreme Court.

'We'll be here next October,' he said.

Council Director of Services Bryan Doyle, responding to a motion by Cllr Donal O'Sullivan, said he would write to An Bord Pleanala 'impressing on them the importance of this case'.

Wicklow People

Arklow masterplan to ease town traffic chaos

New slip-roads off the Arklow bypass, a two-way road along the Avoca riverbank and a pedestrianised Main Street are all part of a new masterplan designed to ease Arklow's chronic traffic congestion.

The plan devised by the Arklow Chamber suggests

Building slip-roads off the bypass at Lamberton, and a connection with the Vale Road.

An inner road from the Lamberton exit directly accessing residential areas at the south of the town.

A bypass exit near the old IFI plant.

A new two-way road at the back of the Main Street, along the Riverwalk.

Eventual pedestrianisation of the Main Street.

A full version of the report is available at www.arklow.ie

Permission sought to build new sewage facility at Ballyraine Lower Plans lodged for e35m sewage treatment plant

Mystery still surrounds a shock new plan to build Arklow's long-awaited e35 million sewage treatment plant on a new site in Ballyraine Lower.

A council-built facility has been earmarked for Seabank, but objections have delayed the project in the courts for the past 10 years.

But now a private developer has applied for planning permission to build a sewage treatment facility big enough to cater for a population equivalent of 45,000 on a new site.

The facility could then be leased back to the council, saving them the set-up costs of their own plant.

But Wicklow County Council officials say they know nothing about the development and are still committed to their own Seabank scheme, which comes up before the courts again on March 20.

Pipeline

'Our scheme has been in the pipeline for a long time and we have no intention of abandoning it,' said council spokesperson Phillip Duffy.

Mr Duffy said the planning permission documents and environmental impact statement had not arrived at the council by yesterday, and he did not know who was behind the application.

The planning permission application is in the name of a Dublin solicitor, but the Wicklow People has learned that the development team includes local man Greg Kavanagh.

He was keeping tight-lipped this week, though.

'I won't be commenting at all, it's just too sensitive at the moment,' he said.

The location of the intended sewage plant is the marsh behind the new St Anne's Halting Site on the Vale Road.

This land was recently sold to the developers and workers were busy on the site on Tuesday.

News of the facility took almost everyone in Arklow by surprise this week, with Arklow council officials and councillors saying they were in the dark beforehand.

One theory suggests that if the treatment plant is not intended to be used for the town's sewage needs, it could signal the arrival of a major new industry in the town with heavy wastewater treatment requirements.

Arklow harbour and river to be dredged

Arklow harbour and the mouth of the Arklow River is set to be dredged for the first time in 20 years.

Harbour officials have applied for a permit from the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to carry out the work and dump the sediment in a specified zone off the Arklow coast.

Harbourmaster James Heaney said sand and sediment had built up and was affecting the usability of the harbour at low tides.

He said a removal of the sediment might also help to alleviate some of the flooding risk in the town.

If permission is granted it is estimated the work will take approxamitely a month to complete, depending on weather conditions.

Review to study housing for people with special needs

Arklow Town Council will audit current and planned housing stocks to ensure there is sufficient housing available for people with special needs.

Cllr Sylvester Bourke proposed a notice of motion and last week's meeting calling for the review of Arklow's social housing policy.

Cllr Bourke said a review was important given a recent ruling against Fingal County Council by the children's ombudsman for failing to provide adequate social housing for people with special needs.

He said people may have been offered an inappropriate council-provided house in the past, but, after rejecting it, may have been 'put on the long finger'.

Town clerk Des Nichols said the council was currently auditing its housing stocks but said social housing schemes soon to be constructed in Arklow had good provisions for people with special needs.

'It is the intention of the council that there are houses there that are capable of being adopted by applicants with special needs and people with children with special needs.'

Wicklow People 22/2/2007

Developers asked to leave room for road beside river

Developers of the river-fronting Marine Hotel and Alps sites have been asked to leave room for a new road beside the Avoca River that it's hoped will solve the town's traffic woes.

But it is likely to be years before the new road would be built.

The road would basically follow the path of the existing Riverwalk, beginning at the N11 beside the Bridge Hotel and linking with the Vale Road below St Saviour's church.

At last week's town council meeting, councillors discussed a meeting they had earlier attended with the Arklow Chamber where the idea for the road was discussed.

Cllr Donal O'Sullivan supported further investigation of the idea of the roadway.

'The idea did have merit and it would be worth looking at,' he said.

'It would be very unfair to impose it (on developers of the sites) but if it could be accommodated in the plan it would be good.'

Town clerk Des Nichols said the issue of leaving room for a roadway had already been raised in pre-planning discussions between the council and the Marine Hotel developers.

He said the developers had had no objections to the proposal and setting back their buildings so the road could be accommodated.

If built, it is hoped the river-side road would relieve pressure on Arklow's Main Street and even help lead to its eventual pedestrianisation.

Mr Nichols said a one-way road was envisioned, linking the N11 behind the Bridge Hotel with either Upper Main St, or the Vale Road.

But Cllr Nicky Kelly said there was already a potential problem with a Vale Road link.

'If the road ends under St Saviours that includes land that the developer doesn't have yet.'

Mr Nichols said the road was first proposed in Arklow's development plan of 1946.

Wicklow People 22/2/2006

Moves must made to ensure the protection of historic landmarks before any development at the Alps site in Arklow's Main Street commences, Arklow Town

Moves must made to ensure the protection of historic landmarks before any development at the Alps site in Arklow's Main Street commences, Arklow Town Council has been told.

Cllr Pat Fitzgerald told the meeting that he wanted to see the Victorian postbox and a historic marker stone preserved on the site.

'I welcome the development but there are historic things there that people don't want left under concrete.'

Cllr Fitzgerald called for them to be relocated somewhere else in the town if the development gets the go-ahead.

Mayor Vincent McElheron also raised the issue of preserving the old castle wall.

'In the wall that houses that postbox, the stones were from part of the castle.'

He asked town engineer Kevin Scanlon to investigate whether the development would affect the stonework.

Mr Scanlon also revealed that the developers behind the Alps-site project had paid almost e40,000 in planning fees to the council, with no guarantee of the project even getting approval.

'It's common knowledge that the maximum fee is e38,000 and they paid close to the maximum,' he said in response to a question from Cllr Sylvester Bourke.

He said the planning application had included an environmental impact statement, and archaological report of the old castle, as well as full details of the proposed development itself.