ST PAUL’S LODGE IS DEMOLISHED
HOUSE KNOCKED DOWN LAST WEEK TO MAKE WAY FOR CAR PARK SPACES
ST Paul’s Lodge in Bray was demolished last week to make way for an extension to the existing Herbert Road car park.
Workers went onto the site on Thursday and the building was rubble by Friday. Work to install new parking spaces is expected to take approximately one month.
Colum Kenny, a spokesman for some of the residents of Herbert Road, said that they are outraged at what he describe as ‘ the sudden destruction’ of the house.
He said that they were awaiting a reply to their proposal for mediation of the dispute over its planned replacement by 45 car parking spaces. The residents had written to the council’s chief executive and law agent outlining their concern about the process.
Mr Kenny had also this week been sent, under a success- ful Freedom of Information request, a number of council emails and documents.
In the documents, of which this newspaper has had sight, District Manager Des O’Brien refers to a submission by Mr Kenny on behalf of some residents to the Part 8 process as ‘24 pages of this single spaced stream of consciousness’ and refers to other objectors as ‘me too submissions’.
The submission, according to residents, was approved by a standing committee and it took weeks to prepare.
The demolition followed a protest the previous week at a special meeting of Wicklow County Council.
In a vote at Wicklow County Council on Monday, March 12, regarding the Part 8 process which would allow St Paul’s Lodge to be demolished, 16 councillors voted in favour, ten against, four were not present and there were two abstentions.
Residents had made a submissions to the council calling for the house to be resold. They ran a campaign and petition calling for the preservation of the building. They suggested parking alternatives including the civic centre car park, and two-story at the Herbert Road car park .