SENIOR counsel for planning officials yesterday described as "unfounded" criticism that the officials had acted without objectivity in their handling of a £20 million residential and shopping development in Bray, Co Wicklow.
Mr John Gallagher SC, for Bray Urban District Council, told the third day of the oral hearing by An Bord Pleanala that the council's planning officials had made their decision "honestly and conscientously" in the light of the best professional advice.
"The same officials also emphatically reject the unfounded suggestion by one councillor that there was a lack of objectivity on their part in dealing with this application and pointed to the fact that there has at all times been full, open and ongoing and public consultation with members of the council and the public in relation to the making of the development plan for the town and the evaluation of the application."
Mr Gallagher said that all wishes of the Bray's 12 member UDC had been recognised at all times and the statutory processes envisaged in the planning code had been followed.
He added that the planning officials emphatically rejected the outrageous, if not slanderous allegation made in writing to An Bord Pleanala and made verbally at the oral hearing.
Last Tuesday Dr Tim Collins, special adviser to the Minister for the Environment and himself a Bray councillor, claimed there was a "litany of poor decisions as well as "questionable objective judgments" in the planning officials' dealings with Noonan Developments Ltd, which was granted permission for a shopping and residential project last October on the Emmet Park GAA grounds and Loreto Convent.
Mr Gallagher said many objectors failed to take account of the fact that virtually all of the acreage for the development was privately owned. The Wicklow county manager had decided, after expert advice, that the application did not contravene the Bray Town Development Plan in a material way.
Mr William Horgan, Bray UDC town engineer, said the town has a population of about 26,000 and was one of the fastest growing areas in the State and had to reinforce its commercial area.
If this is not done it was virtually certain there would be proposals to build out of town, centres in the region.
"This would destroy the commercial life of the town and adversely affect all the businesses in the town and would be environmentally unfriendly as cars would clog up roads and services."
Dr Brian Meehan, planning consultant for Noonan Developments Ltd, said there was an existing inadequacy of retail space and the proposed centre, which would have an anchor store, would be beneficial to existing shops in the town's centre area.
The proposed service or access road would relieve town centre congestion, he said.
The oral hearing continues today with submissions from Noonan Developments Ltd.