Council planner rejects criticism of proposed Delgany development

WICKLOW County Council's senior executive planner has said that the council bitterly resented the way it had been portrayed after granting planning permission for a 294 house development at Delgany.

At a Bord Pleanala hearing in Wicklow yesterday, Mr Desk O'Brien said the proposed developers, Mr Jim Woods and his family, trading as Avmark Ltd, were "terribly good developers". He rejected Tuesday's evidence from a number of ecologists, architects and local residents. The council was not going outside its powers in granting permission, he and had made reasonable judgments in not requiring an environmental impact study or an ecology report.

While it was agreed that the development was in the sight lines of a listed view, Mr O'Brien argued that the listing referred to the view of the sea and the town of Greystones. While the proposed housing scheme would be in the foreground, it would not interfere with the view as he felt it was listed.

Mr O'Brien agreed that the visual aspect of the development from local roads was a "very suburban view".

He added that the council felt the crucial factor was the traffic impact of the development. The road serving the development, which passes through Delgany village, was "undoubtedly hazardous" and would have to be widened, regardless of the proposed development. However, the council felt the road had extra capacity as things stood.

Canon David Muir, chairman of the board of management of Delgany National School, gave evidence that the school is full.

Mr Roger Goodwillie, an ecologist retained by the developer, said there was no disagreement with ecologists appearing at the hearing for the Delgany Area Residents' Action Group (DARAG) on the facts of the site. Mr Goodwillie said there was a difference in interpretation of the a significance of those facts. In his opinion there was no need for special classification of the site and many similar examples of wet woodland were to be found elsewhere in Wicklow.

Mr John Riordan, a landscape architect with J.B. Barry and Partners, said the water supply in the area was sufficient to serve the development. Foul effluent would be taken by the new Greystones sewerage system and surface water could be accommodated through a new culvert under the Delgany Road which would reduce the potential for flooding.

For An Taisce, Mr Brendan Munnelly said the essential character of Delgany would be completely overwhelmed by the proposed development.