Locals warn of increasing erosion

COASTAL EROSION in the vicinity of the stalled harbour redevelopment project in Greystones, Co Wicklow, has accelerated over the past winter, locals have warned.

The erosion is taking place on mud cliffs at the northern end of the 35-acre harbour site, in an area known locally as Darcy’s field.

The field contains a cement “batching” plant set up by the harbour redevelopers, the Sispar consortium, to manufacture huge concrete blocks for use in new harbour walls.

But the level of erosion on the seaward side of Darcy’s field has now brought the batching plant close to the cliff edge and a number of large concrete barriers have been placed on the beach below the cliff. In recent months the local cliff walk has also been rerouted from the seaward side of Darcy’s field and now passes alongside the Dublin to Wexford railway line.

The area has a long history of coastal erosion but locals, including Ciarán Demery, who has lived at the harbour for about half a century, claimed the level of erosion last winter was greater than that which occurred for any single year over the past 30 years.

Mr Demery, who is a member of a community liaison committee set up by Sispar, insisted locals were not trying to repeat the arguments against the €300 million project. But he said local support for the project was based on the delivery of five new clubhouses for existing harbour users, new public areas and a world-class marina, all of which were to have been developed ahead of the housing and commercial facilities, but which have now been put on hold.

He said a “haul road” built by the developers was higher than the north beach road, resulting in a lack of drainage for floodwaters.

He said the liaison committee had been told by Sispar that the best that could be hoped for was that a new deal would be worked out with a commercial customer to bring on “Block D”, a retail element of the project, a move which might lead to hoardings coming down in September 2011, at which time the public areas would be opened – possibly with a temporary surface.

Wicklow County Council, which is a public-sector partner in the project with Sispar, said there had always been coastal erosion in the area “and that is the way it has always been”. Spokesman Seán Quirke said “there was probably two years’ erosion this year and none last year” but he maintained it “averaged out”.

The council has previously said that while the public elements have been paused, the project does not have to be completed until 2014.

Local councillor Tom Fortune (Lab) said “the town council was told it might be as late as May or June before Sispar could tell us what the new position was. They need to talk to us sooner.”