COUNCILLORS GIVE €780K TO BRAY PROJECTS
MEMBERS of Bray Municipal District agreed to provide funding for a number of projects at their most recent meeting.
They were deciding how to allocate a sum of €780,0000, relating to lands rented at the Southern Cross.
The agreed projects are: Bray Harbour improvements, €200,000; seafront enhancement scheme, €135,000; 17 acres report (old par 3), €10,000; wayfinding, €36,000; Peoples Park improvements, €50,0000; analysis of sporting needs, €20,000; Albert Walk improvements, €30,000; Dargle/Swan River walks, €60,000; North Wicklow walkways, €30,000; clock tower Enniskerry works, €30,000; crash barrier Anna Curra, €5,000; Bray and Enniskerry Tidy Towns, €30,000; Springfield pedestrian crossing, €5,000; civic awareness project, €10,000; Kilmac pedestrian crossing and paths, €30,000; roundabout project, €30,000; Fassaroe pitches, €10,000; Quinsboro Road public realm, €57,000; and site specific graffiti project, €2,000.
The members had previously agreed to use the money for public realm projects. It was Cllr John Ryan and Cllr Pat Vance who proposed that the money and arrears come to Bray.
In January, Cllr Joe Behan had asked that the officials prepare a programme of expenditure of the arrears of rent received from Nechouka/ Starwood for the lands.
The district engineer was examining proposals for expenditure at that time.
Wicklow County Council received €14.4m in 2008 after Nechouka purchased 2.29 acres at Southern Cross as they wanted to locate a Superquinn on the area.
They were granted planning permission for a mixed use development on a combined site including the 2.29 acres and another nine acres.
As part of the lease agreement, a clause was included to impose penalties if construction on site did not commence within year one as agreed, at a cost of €100,000 per annum.
However, no construction works took place because of the 2008 recession.
In 2016, Nechouka wanted to vary the lease agreement to facilitate the sale of the site. They proposed to pay the full €778,000 owed to the local authority in penalties, on the condition that the lease agree- ment would be reduced to €1 per year from 2017 to 2022. This would allow for a purchaser of the site to prepare a fresh planning application, allow for any potential appeals to An Bord Pleanála and also allow time to secure the necessary funding. If the development isn’t completed in that time, then a further €500,000 will be accrued.
International vulture fund Starwood Property Trust Inc later became involved with the lease.
Other projects suggested by the members included clubhouse facilities at Fergal Ógs, a dog walking park in Ballywaltrim, allotments for Oldcourt and Deer Park, and the upgrading of road surfaces in Seacrest, Sugarloaf Crescent, Mountainview Drive, Glenwood, Herbert Park and Charnwood.