Developers at odds on Wicklow plans

Developers behind proposals for two of the State's largest mixed-use shopping centres have objected to each other's plans, pitching some of the best-known names in Ireland's property industry against each other.

The two shopping centres are a €2 billion development in the centre of Bray, Co Wicklow, to be developed by a company called Pizarro, and a smaller, mixed-use shopping centre of undisclosed value but which is comparable in size to Dublin's Liffey Valley shopping centre, just six miles down the road at Charlesland.

Behind the proposed Charlesland centre are billionaire property tycoons Seán Mulryan and Seán Dunne, whose Zapi Developments received planning permission for the centre from Wicklow County Council recently.

Behind Pizarro is a consortium made up of a number of Dublin's most successful developers including Paddy Kelly and his family; development company Alanis controlled by the McCormack family; the Flynn family; Durkan New Homes; Pierse Construction; and the Newlyn Group.

The Charlesland centre just south of Greystones is next to the almost 1,500-home Charlesland estate developed by Zapi in recent years. Included in the proposed centre are 20,000sq m of shops, 26,000sq m of offices, 16,000sq m of retail warehousing, 11,500sq m of motor showrooms, an enterprise centre, light industrial units and 260 homes. The scheme also includes a new Garda station, a five-acre site for two new schools, and a creche for 150 children. There is dual-carriageway access to the N11.

Under the terms of a package announced by Mr Dunne, Zapi will contribute €3.5 million towards a community centre and swimming pool which are being built adjacent to Charlesland. Zapi is also to donate €100,000 towards a Greystones heritage centre and €500,000 towards a recycling facility. Altogether the current and proposed development at Charlesland amounts to the creation of essentially a new town of about 10,000 people.

However, the Charlesland proposal has been appealed by Pizarro which last October submitted its revised proposals for the development of the former Bray golf club and former Industrial Yarns site which straddles the border between Co Wicklow and the Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Council's administrative area.

Pizarro's proposed development is an even larger mixed use development.

Following notice of the appeal against the Charlesland development, Bray Town Council last week revealed that Zapi had in turn appealed against the Pizarro Development.