Floodplain petition is handed over
THE group ‘SWAP’ handed over a petition to Cathaoirleach of Bray Municipal District Christopher Fox last week demanding that an area of the old Bray Golf Club lands be returned to open space zoning.
SWAP (Safety with Alternative Plan) members are concerned about the 3.48 hectare area of low-lying floodplain along the Dargle River.
They propose that it be retained as a linear park and playing fields.
The area which is located between the Dargle Road and the sea was zoned for high density building in 2005.
In 2010, Pizarro were granted permission to build a new town centre. Due to the economic downturn, that development did not proceed.
According to SWAP, if the recently completed flood defences fail, and the area in question has been built upon, flood waters will have nowhere to go.
They handed over a petition of 1,230 signatures to Cllr Fox in advance of final decisions on the Bray Local Area Plan.
Copies of the petition will also go to the Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council.
‘While our own municipal councillors will play a big role in this vote, all 32 will have the right to decide for themselves whether or not to protect this floodplain, and hence our homes and any future development on the old golf links,’ said a SWAP spokeswoman.
‘We were consistently blocked from addressing the entire County Council about our concerns since January last, but some of the councillors themselves volunteered to come to us instead, and hear our arguments. We held meetings over the past month in The Community Space Teashop in Baltinglass, in the BeeHive (for Wicklow and Arklow), in the Anglers’ Club in Greystones, and in the Royal Hotel in Bray,’ she said.
‘As a result, we have now met and discussed our concerns with 27 of the 32 Wicklow County councillors, and have been impressed with their openness to discussion.’