Kicking The Cairn

Cairn’s original Coolagad Masterplan… APR22

atest press release from Cllr Derek Mitchell, issued on Wednesday, March 27th 2024…

Councillors Derek Mitchell and Lourda Scott are concerned about the recently introduced S605 of the Planning & Development Bill going through the Oireachtas now.

At the Greystones Municipal District meeting they asked for the Section to be cancelled. This section would allow developments to get planning permission even if the population targets for the town are exceeded. The Council is to write to the Minister For Housing, Darragh O’Brien, and ask for cancellation.

Town infrastructure, such as water, schools, transport, is planned for the target population. So a major increase in population needs more infrastructure. Greystones is already over its population target of 22,000 for 2028. It is likely to be 26,000, 20% over target, by 2028, with all the current planning permissions and applications.

Greystones would need at least one extra school to cope with this increase. Already the Council has spent 35 years talking about building the Delgany to Blacklion cycleway and road, but no tender has yet been issued.

Targets were set based on an improvement in Greystones DART and the N11, but none of these have progressed.

The Coolagad site

Lack of jobs is the biggest problem and this is why a higher growth rate was selected for Bray and Wickow Town as they have more local employment, which is more sustainable than commuting.

Cairn have been refused permission for 98 houses in Greystones because the town is over the population target.

They also have a 580 house application still being decided by Bord Pleanala.

Ironically, they have substantial land zoned for industry but have only proceeded with a small part of it.

If developed this could have reduced the amount of commuting making their housing developments more sustainable.