Dublin coastal groups in ecology alliance

Fifteen campaign groups concerned with the environment of Dublin Bay and the east coast have agreed to form a new alliance to share expertise and oppose what they see as inappropriate development of the foreshore.

The new alliance was proposed at a conference in Dún Laoghaire at the weekend at which up to 100 participants were critical of levels of public consultation as part of the planning process. Criticism was also levelled at local authorities who engage in development deals with the private sector.

The alliance called for the establishment of a new system of coastal zone management and agreed to oppose all public-private sector deals which involved transferring areas of seafront or foreshore to the private sector.

It also maintained that environmental, amenity and wildlife concerns should be a central part of the development plans of local authorities which have responsibility for coastal areas.

The new alliance is now preparing to hold a public rally and demonstration this summer, provisionally set for June 17th. The demonstration is to demand the development of the coastline in the greater Dublin region be undertaken for the benefit of the public with guaranteed access to the sea and coastal amenities.

Participants at Saturday's conference included representatives of the campaign against a regional sewerage plant proposed for Portrane; members of Clontarf Residents' Association which is against a proposal to fill in some 52 acres of Dublin Bay; Ringsend Combined Residents Association which is opposing the development of an incinerator on the Poolbeg Peninsula; environmentalists concerned with the bird and marine life in Dublin Bay; members of Save Our Seafront which last year defeated a proposal to build private apartments as part of a public-private scheme to redevelop Dún Laoghaire baths; Swap, a group seeking amendments to a €2 billion scheme planned for the banks of the Dargle in Bray; and the Greystones Protection and Development Association, which is opposing the building of 275 apartments as part of a refurbishment scheme for Greystones Harbour.

Also included at Saturday's meeting were those opposed to developments mooted for Blackrock Baths, Bulloch Harbour and the Killiney beach tea-rooms. The Shell to Sea campaign from Co Mayo was also present, along with campaign groups Coastwatch and Save Viking Waterford.

The meeting, which was organised by the Dún Laoghaire based Save our Seafront group, was also attended by TDs Ciarán Cuffe, Barry Andrews and Éamon Gilmore.

During a question and answer session a number of speakers told the politicians that they had engaged with the public consultation process, but that it had made no difference as local authorities appeared to have a pre-determined agenda. One of the conference organisers Richard Boyd-Barrett said the alliance was an "exciting and important development".