Reopening of hearing on Greystones plan sought

The deputy leader of the Labour Party Liz McManus has written to the chairman of Bord Pleanála John O'Connor, calling for an oral hearing into the redevelopment plans for Greystones Harbour to be reopened.

Ms McManus told The Irish Timesthat significant alterations had been made to the plan at the behest of the board, which would essentially give rise to a development other than that which was debated at the oral hearing.

Wicklow County Council in conjunction with its private sector partners John Sisk and Co and Park Developments had asked the board for permission for 375 new homes. Also included in the application were retail facilities and the relocation of a number of clubhouses for existing harbour users, around a new harbour on site.

However, after the hearing closed, the board, in one of the first uses of new powers, wrote to the consortium suggesting amendments, including the omission of some of the housing and the relocation of club facilities.

"As a result of this letter, Wicklow County Council on or about 27th October, submitted significantly revised plans for the development," Ms McManus explained.

"However, because these plans were submitted in response to a request for further information, there is no obligation on the board to make the information public or to reopen the oral hearing. This is unfair because the proposal represents a new application." Ms McManus who represents the Wicklow constituency said the development was of such a scale that it would "significantly change the entire area".

She advised Mr O'Connor that it has been the subject of much public concern and thousands of local residents had signed a petitioned to express their opposition to the scale and impacts of the proposal.

She maintained the additional information supplied by the consortium "in no significant way addresses the majority of the objections raised by the community".

She also said it included new features "which may serve to make it even more unacceptable than the last proposal. I would ask that the proposals be put on public display and the public should be given ample time to comment on them.

"In addition, the oral hearing should be reopened. It would be an important confidence-building measure in relation to a major development which should be subject to full public scrutiny," she concluded.