Bray Clay Pigeon Club has warned that it will be wiped out if a €210 million, 650-unit residential scheme is allowed to proceed.
Cosgrave Developments lodged fast-track plans to An Bord Pleanála in April for the Strategic Housing Development (SHD) scheme of 241 houses and 409 apartments at Fassaroe/Monastery in Co Wicklow.
The scheme also includes retail and commercial space, as well as a cafe kiosk in a district park.
Bray Clay Pigeon Club objected to the plans, claiming the development will decimate the club’s facility, which “has been built up and maintained over the years by volunteer members and dedicated sports people”.
The objection points out that over the past 10 years six club members have achieved places on Ireland’s national teams and represented the country in international competitions.
On behalf of the club, its honorary secretary Bill O’Brien said to the appeals board that by building high volume and high density housing in proximity “the club will become the subject of future noise and safety complaints/objections from the newly arrived residents, which will seriously impinge on our established rights and lead to the curtailment of our activities”.
Mr O’Brien stated that “while housing is a high priority, so too are community based sports amenities, and proceeding with this development without accommodating the activities of this club, will wipe out a very long-standing amenity”.
He said that addressing any future complaints would require very expensive remedial solutions “which would be way outside the meagre financial resources of this sports club, leading to its ultimate demise”.
Opposition to the scheme is not confined to the Clay Pigeon Club, with a number of local residents also objecting.
Planning consultants for Cosgrave Developments, the RPS group, stated “the proposal is an acceptable development of the lands at Fassaroe”.
“Once completed, the development will serve as an appropriate expansion to Bray town while also providing sufficient amenities for use by the wider population in the area,” RPS stated.
