A vote by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown county councillors on two development proposals for the derelict Dún Laoghaire baths site is believed to have been deferred this evening.
A vote by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown county councillors on two development proposals for the derelict Dún Laoghaire baths site was deferred this evening.
The site, left unused since the baths closed in the 1980s, is being targetted by two separate developers competing to build either a 104-bedroom hotel and seawater spa or a 60-unit "apart-hotel", comprising office and retail space.
The vote was expected to take place tonight, amid mounting local opposition. Cllr Chris O'Malley told ireland.comthe vote had been deferred for one week until next Monday night.
He said the matter only came up for consideration fifteen minutes before the meeting was due to finish at 7.30 p.m.
Earlier the Save Our Seafront (SOS) campaign staged a protest as councillors entered the chamber. At the weekend 400-people attended a protest organised by the group. According to Mr Richard Boyd-Barrett, SOS chairman, there is enormous disquiet locally at the council's plans to allow the site be redeveloped.
People made it very clear that what they want is a public baths amenity which is genuinely accessible to all and which is keeping with the character and history of the seafront area," added Mr Boyd-Barrett, who ran unsuccessfully as a Socialist Workers Party candidate for Dún Laoghaire in the last general election.
"There is real feeling that ordinary working people are being squeezed out of the area all together through the selling off of public space and sky-rocketing property prices that result from these kinds of developments".
The two proposals, on tabled by Bennett Construction and the other by Pierse Group, were shortlisted from 14 development submissions for the site across from the People's Park. The council stands to receive annual payments from the successful scheme in return for making the site available.