Building on Dargle Flood Plain

A €2 billion development is planned for the golf club lands in Bray, next to the Dargle river. This land includes a traditional flood plain.

The Green Party has proposed that approximately 8.6 acres of the golf club lands which is the flood plain be reserved for open space and a public path, as recommended by the Office of Public Works guidelines on development on flood plains. We are working closely with the local group SWAP to advance this proposal (See www.braywatch.com).


The Right Kind of Development for Greystones Marina

Wicklow County Council is in the process of finalising a very ambitious Harbour Development Plan for Greystones harbour. The plan involves 375 apartments rising to four storeys, commercial development, a 180 berth marina, coastal protection works and a public park.

Local residents are seriously concerned about the proposed scale of the project and its likely impact on the town. The Green Party is working closely with local campaign group Greystones Harbour Protection and development Association to try to scale down the overall size of the project (see www.greystonesmarina.com).

My submission made to the Oral Hearing held at the Royal Hotel in Bray on April 4^th may be read here.


Kilcoole Area Play Space

KAPS (Kilcoole Area Play Space) is a new group formed by parents interested in fund-raising for a Playground in the village of Kilcoole. There are approximately 700 children in Kilcoole and no public playground available to them. To launch the Fund-raising appeal, there was a Hallowe-en party in St Patrick’s Hall on Sunday 30th October.

A competition was also launched in local schools for children to design their DREAM PLAYGROUND. Entry forms were distributed to the school children in Kilcoole. The overall winner will see their playground design on future posters advertising KAPS activities.

At present, KAPS is a fledgling group. It is hoped that many more local people will get involved in the appeal, and for that reason, there was a PUBLIC MEETING held on Wednesday 9th November at 8.30 in St. Patrick’s Hall. A committee was formed to manage the fund-raising appeal.

KAPS is facilitated by Kilcoole Youth Initiative and Kilcoole Women’s Group.

For further information please contact: Jennifer Whelan on 087 2867611


Making Bray & Greystones Fair Trade Towns

At present both Bray and Greystones have Fair Trade committees that are working towards achieving a Fair Trade status for these towns.

The Fairtrade movement was born of a recognition that many people in the Third World are poor not because they do not produce anything, but because they often receive so little of the retail price value. Development agencies recognised the important role that consumers could play to change this situation. By buying direct from farmers at better prices, helping to strengthen their organisations and marketing their produce directly through their shops and catalogues, the charities offered consumers the opportunity to buy products which were bought on the basis of a Fairtrade. However, there was a limit to how many producers could benefit while Fairtrade sales were limited to such niche retail outlets - not normally associated with food goods. To generate greater sales on Fairtrade terms for the benefit of more marginalised producers, it was important to involve commercial manufacturers and to encourage Fairtrade supply to supermarkets where most people do their shopping. When food manufacturers buy from registered suppliers according to Fairtrade criteria their products can carry the Fairtrade seal of approval, the FAIRTRADE Mark.

In order to achieve the status of Fairtrade towns for Bray and Greystones, a given number of businesses, retail outlets, catering outlets and schools in these towns must serve fair trade products. The work of the fairtrade committees involves promoting the fair trade brand, informing businesses and schools about the advantages of using fair trade products and encouraging consumers to purchase fair trade products.

For further information about the Bray or Greystones Fairtrade committees please contact Judy Russell on jcrussell@eircom.net.

For further information about Fairtrade in Ireland see www.fairtrade.ie


Strengthen the EPA

Following recent events in Cork Harbour and elsewhere, the ineffectiveness of the EPA has been exposed and now is the time to keep the pressure on for the EPA to be reformed. Click here for more details.


If you are involved in a local campaign, and would like to see it featured here, please contact Déirdre with your details.