A building company warned yesterday that a proposed £25 million development for Bray town centre in Co Wicklow was becoming "financially and economically marginal" due to delays in handling planning objections and cost-loadings.
Mr Derry O'Connell, planning consultant for Newlyn Developments, told an oral planning hearing in Bray that their proposed mix of residential-commercial and a civic centre in the town had gone through a long planning process.
He said the development was becoming economically marginal. Modifications of the original plans already made constituted a significant loss of floor space to both residential and commercial residents.
Mr O'Connell said: "The developers are of the opinion that they have reduced the proposed development to a critically marginal level of financial viability. In this context, any further excessive financial loading could extinguish the project altogether."
Mr O'Connell was reacting to submissions at the Bord Pleanala hearing by third-party objectors to the approval by Bray UDC of a 44-bedroom hotel, bar, six residential apartment blocks, a new town hall and health board headquarters and civic shopping complex.
The development is planned for a 5 1/4acre site adjoining the Main Street, which is currently owned or occupied by Bray UDC, the VEC and Bray Emmets GAA club. It was subject to 47 conditions.
At yesterday's hearing the developer rejected a claim by residents of Novara Avenue and Father Colahan Terrace that views of Bray Head and the sea would be interrupted.
Mr O'Connell also rejected claims that the new project would leave homes in the area open to vandalism.
Mr Tom Fitzgerald, chief executive of Bray and District Chamber of Commerce, which represents some 250 businesses, said the town was short of key attractions to business, shoppers and leisure-seekers. The project proposed to include extra accommodation for civic and administrative offices and facilities for conferences and the performing arts. Mr Fitzgerald said: "We in the chamber believe this development will generate new business and provide some 500 new jobs, with the possibility of extra office accommodation for State or government departments, all of which will be a significant boost for Bray."
Councillor Pat Vance (Fianna Fail) said the majority on Bray UDC supported the development. No secret deals were done and 10 out of the 11 councillors present at a material contravention meeting of the development plan supported it. "This represented a considerable shift in favour of developing the site compared to a previous proposal by Noonan Developments," Mr Vance said.
He told the hearing that a new civic office was badly needed in the town, as the existing facilities were totally inadequate for both the public and local authority staff.
Mr John Higgins, an engineer, for the developer, said Bray's traffic would marginally increase in what is primarily a civic centre development accommodating local and central government departments. For this reason it could be used as a model for developments in Dublin, as it would incorporate a strict parking management regime and promote alternatives to private modes of transport.
He said the project would provide 406 car-parking spaces, 115 of which would be used by residents in the six proposed apartment blocks. The car-parking facilities would be segregated from the remaining 291 spaces provided in its commercial element.
Mr Higgins said no objections had been lodged by the Dublin Transport Office after consultation, and agreement had been reached with St Thomas's Community College regarding access.
Mr Tim Healy, secretary of Bray Emmets GAA Club, said they were supporting the development, as the proceeds of the sale of its site would be used for new grounds and headquarters for the club in Bray.
The club presently catered for 400 young people, but at Emmet Park the GAA had only one pitch and hopelessly inadequate back-up facilities for players.
Mr Healy said Bray now had a population of 30,000, but the GAA had no social centre or facilities for young players. The development of the civic centre was an ideal opportunity to sell Emmet Park and reinvest the proceeds in a new club headquarters.
The hearing continues today.