We could delay plan, say traders
FLORENCE Road traders told the members of Bray Municipal District last Tuesday evening said that they could tie up the Florentine development, and gave members a week to respond or they would begin legal proceedings.
The retailers were reactinging to the withdrawal of pedestrian access from their street to the new shopping centre.
Access is not now planned as the council could not strike a deal regarding the necessary portion of land before the signing of contracts. However, traders spokesman David Salmon told the council that they had been dealing with the wrong landowner all along. He said that Lord Meath owns the land in question, with another person having merely right of way to a site to the rear of the Main Street.
District manager Tom Murphy said that he would look into that possibility.
‘IF we want to, we can tie up the whole development for a long time,’ a Florence Road trader told the members of Bray Municipal District at last week’s meeting.
After being denied the opportunity to speak at a previous meeting due to protocol, a spokesman for the traders addressed the members at their November meeting regarding the fact that a planned pedestrian entrance to the Forentine Centre from the Florence Road is not going to happen.
David Salmon, one of the owners of Fleuritique, gave officials a deadline of seven working days before legal action would be taken.
He also told members and officials that they had been dealing with the wrong landowner during the entire process. He said that the land in question, to the rear of Main Street shops, is owned by Lord Meath and under a leasehold to another party.
The meeting heard that the developers have said that pedestrian access via the vehicular or delivery entries would not be possible due to health and safety issues, and they have moved on from the possibility of the access planned in the first place.
Mr Salmon said that An Bord Pleanala had been pleased with the idea of a flow through the centre from Quinsboro Road to Florence Road.
In addressing the council, he also mentioned a change to underground parking.
‘I think this had been done to facilitate apartments,’ he said.
However, at a previous meeting, members rejected the idea of apartments as it would potentially delay the development.
Mr Salmon said that part of the traders’ annoyance at not being allowed speak at the previous month’s meeting was that three days later, nine concrete trucks lined up to pour concrete at the site.
Mr Salmon said that there are 100 full-time jobs at stake at Florence Road, as well as part-time jobs, and warned that, without pedestrian access, the street will die.
He said that the retailers had always been promised access to the centre and have been patiently awaiting that.
He said that taking legal action is the last thing that the traders want to do, but they will seek a judicial review of the administration of the council if necessary.
At previous district meetings, it emerged that the occupant of the site earmarked for the pedestrian access had indicated willingness to cooperate, but ultimately this did not happen.
Mr Salmon said that person did not own the laneway, rather had right of way on land owned by Lord Meath. He also said that he had spoken to Jack (Lord Meath) and he ‘ has never had any approach’ regarding this ground.
‘If we were Dell or Dunnes, providing 100 jobs and saying we would leave in the morning, you would be bending over backwards for us,’ said Mr Salmon.
District Manager Tom Murphy said that he was not aware that the land may be owned by Lord Meath and that he would investigate that possibility.
Cllr Brendan Thornhill said that the traders pay rates and taxes, provide employment, and therefore deserve the pedestrian access.
‘What’s been said tonight is dynamite,’ said Cllr Joe Behan. ‘If this is correct, we’ve been talking to the wrong people all along.
‘ The people of Bray are being short-changed, the councillors blind-sided and the traders shafted,’ said Cllr Behan.
Cllr Steven Matthews asked for a copy of the legal advice the traders had received.
‘It’s commercially sensitive,’ replied Mr Salmon.
Cllr Dermot O’Brien said that the situation must be challenged.
‘We might as well put gravestones on Florence Road next Halloween,’ he said. Cllr Oliver O’Brien said that he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
Cllr John Ryan said that everyone wants the pedestrian access to Florence Road. ‘When we received answers from the developers that it wasn’t feasible I was really disappointed, it’s not good enough,’ he said.
Cllr Ryan said that he would be delighted to learn that they had been negotiating with the wrong person and he would prefer to deal with Lord Meath who, he said, has already given most of the land he owned back to the people of Bray and is a fantastic person. ‘If we can pull off a deal here, it’s win-win,’ he said.
Cathaoirleach Cllr Pat Vance said that people have been waiting 25 years for the development. He said that he had told traders in March that the access was not permitted by the owner, and told them how disappointed he was.
‘People have a right not to sell property,’ he said. He said that the contract proceeded. ‘People had waited so long and so many people had put in so much work to bring it to that stage,’ Cllr Vance said. ‘I would have much preferred if we could have had access, but if we can’t, I would rather not delay the development for one day.’
He said that he was very disappointed to hear the threat to scupper the development and put it back for years.
IF WE WERE DELL OR DUNNES, PROVIDING 100 JOBS AND SAYING WE’D LEAVE IN THE MORNING, YOU WOULD BE BENDING OVER BACKWARDS FOR US