Green Party councillors on Bray Town Council have welcomed the recent decision of an Bord Pleanala to grant planning permission for the third time for the development of the Florentine Centre, off Bray Main Street.

“The Board’s decision was subject to revised conditions but these conditions will not be publicly available for another few days “ says Green Party General Election candidate, Deirdre de Burca. “This prime site in the centre of Bray has been left in a derelict state by Ballymore Homes for approximately eleven years now and has seriously inhibited development in the prime commercial centre of Bray” she says. “This has had a knock on effect, with many traders left uncertain as to whether to invest in their own premises or not. Furthermore, without the additional parking that the Florentine Centre would provide the town is in obvious decline”.

According to Cllr DeBurca the existing Bray Town Centre must be revitalised as a priority. “This decision of an Bord Pleanala to give the green light to the Florentine Centre presents a window of opportunity for the existing Town Centre to consolidate itself, especially since the Golf Club lands development was recently refused” she says.

Green Party councillor Ciaran O’Brien has a simple message for the developers. “I am saying to them to move ahead now and build the Florentine Centre” he says. “If this does not happen quickly, we will be calling on the Town Manager to take back the third of the site that belongs to Bray Town Council, which was handed over to Ballymore Homes 11 years ago. In that case, the town council itself should develop an underground car park on the lands”.

Green Party councillor, Caroline Burrell, welcomed the decision and said that she looked forward to the positive impact which the Florentine Centre would have on shopping in Bray.