Sir, - I wish the people in the area success in their fight. There is, however, no reason - for Damien Boyle (May 10th) to create the impression that it would have been fairer for An Bord Pleanala to allow the Bray development ("a far more modest proposed development") and refuse the Park one. The same uninformed comparison has been carelessly thrown about by others in your paper, and in radio discussions, in order to show inconsistency in An Bord Pleanala's decisions.
The Bray plan was far from modest. It was acknowledged on all sides to be the biggest ever proposed for the town. Some of the proposals were found to be material contraventions of the planning authority's own development plan, even though the proposed development was perceived to have had that same authority's full support from the outset. A road of motorway standards to run through a planned housing estate and beside four large schools was proposed. For 12 hours a day every day of the year the development would have worsened an already unbearable traffic situation on all streets and roads. There were many, many undesirable features in the plan, not least in the matter of education amenity.
Mr Boyle and others should abandon this foolish comparison and rely now on their main chance, that of winning the political battle against the proposed casino. - Yours etc
Bray,
Co Wicklow.