Residents fail to block Marina development
A €300m Co Wicklow marina and harbour re-development was given the green light today by planners, despite strong objection from residents.
Developed by Wicklow County Council and private sector partner, the Sispar Consortium, the Greystones project will include over 340 apartments, shops, a 230-berth marina, public plaza and boardwalk.
Following a second oral hearing last March, after An Bord Pleanala asked for further information about the project from developers, the planning authority granted permission with 13 conditions attached.
Local residents opposed to the plans’ scale branded the decision as gutting, while Wicklow County Council said they were happy with the news.
“It is considered that, subject to compliance with the conditions set out in this order, the proposed development would not have significant adverse effects on the environment, 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 sustainable development of the area,” An Bord Pleanala said.
The decision contains 13 conditions including the development of a traffic calming scheme during construction work, beach nourishment provisions and the presence of on-site archaeologists during excavation work.
Wicklow County Council spokesman Sean Quirke said: “We’re very happy with the news.
“It [the planning application] has been with An Bord Pleanala at the planning stage since December 2005. It has been a long process for us.”
But the Greystones Protection and Development Association (GPDA), made up of local residents strongly opposed to the development, said they were gutted by the decision which placed little restriction on the plans.
“We’re extremely disappointed,” spokeswoman Evelyn Cawley said.
“Overall we feel that this gives them [developers] a licence to build. We thought there might have been more restrictions put in.
“But to look at the positive side we did influence the board the second time around,” she said.
The original marina application included a new coastguard station, a new beach area, a public boardwalk and 6,400sq m of commercial, mainly marine-related units as well as 375 apartments.
But following an oral hearing in Bray last summer, the board asked the council to resubmit plans, reducing housing and deleting apartment blocks close to Victorian housing in the area.
The plans were placed back on public display in January and more than 3500 submissions were received leading to a second oral hearing in March, which lasted over a week.
Mr Quirke said work is expected to start on site within a number of months, weather dependent, and will take between four to five years to complete.
