Green Party councillor, Deirdre de Burca, says that while the controversy rages about the very large-scale development proposed for the Harbour and North Beach area in Greystones, the South Beach is now being targeted by potential developers.

The Green Party councillor made her comments after receiving a formal invitation to an invitation-only presentation on the future commercial and residential development of the South Beach area in Greystones which will be held in the Druid Marriott Hotel on Thursday 31st August.

“I was absolutely shocked to receive this invitation in the post this week from Foster and Partners, in association with Durkan Residential and Michael Mc Namara & Company” says de Burca. She says the invitation described the event as “an information evening and presentation on Greystones New Quarter, a visionary new plan for residential and commercial development for the South Beach area of Greystones “.The text of the invitation stated that the South Beach area of Greystones was the “last remaining substantial area for development within Greystones Town Boundary”.

“It appears that this architectural, planning and design company, Foster and Partners, has already completed a masterplan for the existing Charlesland Golf Club site, and hopes to integrate this site into a Master Plan for the wider South Beach area” says de Burca.

“I really thought this was a bad joke when I first received the invitation. The people of Greystones are in the process of trying to come to terms with the possible loss of the existing natural amenity of the North Beach and Harbour area if an Bord Pleanala give the Sispar development the green light” she says. “But the decision hasn’t even been made, and already plans are being drawn up for large-scale development of the South Beach area. All of this is happening without any real consultation with the people of Greystones, and obviously with the approval and support of Wicklow County Council”.

The Green Party councillor says that there is now a risk that if Greystones, and particularly its coastal areas, are over-developed, the very attractive and unique features of living in the town will be destroyed. “People will no longer want to live in Greystones if Wicklow County Council allows it to be seriously over-developed” she says. “I am calling on the County Manager, Eddie Sheehy to see sense, and to try and conserve or protect what is so attractive about Greystones while encouraging appropriate commercial and residential development”.