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[Press Release: September 20th, 2004] New route for Greystones Cliff Walk must be subject to public consultation process claim GreensThe Wicklow Green Party has called for the controversial plans to re-route part of the Greystones Cliff Walk inland to be made subject to a public consultation process.Following a meeting of the Bray Area Planning Committee at which the Bray Town Manager, Des O'Brien, presented the proposed new route to the councillors present, Green Party councillor, Deirdre de Burca has called on Wicklow County Council to put the proposed new route on public display. "The proposed new route will see a considerable part of the Greystones section of the Cliff Walk moved inland, next to the railway embankment" says de Burca. "This will mean that this section of the cliff walk will be between 60 metres and 140 metres inland from the current cliff path. We have been told that a key landowner is wiling to sell two acres of his land at this point for agricultural value. I find this very surprising and wonder are there any future and possibly lucrative developments being planned for this area. Coastal views certainly command the highest property prices" claims de Burca. The Green Party councillor put down a proposal at last Monday's meeting that the new route for the Cliff Walk be put out to public consultation but was not supported by her fellow Bray councillors on Wicklow County Council. The Bray Town Manager, Des O'Brien, claimed that the issue will be put to the Greystones area councillors and, if the proposal has their support, the new route will be put in place without any public consultation. "I really feel very uncomfortable about what is going on" says de Burca. "of course there is coastal erosion happening in the area, but I was told that the new Greystones marina and apartments were being developed to fund coastal protection works in the Greystones Harbour area. Now we are being told that despite the coastal protection works proposed, it will also be necessary to move the Cliff Walk inland by up to 140 metres. This does not add up. I am calling on the Greystones councillors to agree to put the prosed new cliff walk location on public display to allow the people of Greystones and beyond to have a say in what is happening to one of the major public amenities in North Wicklow".
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