Harbour company denies marina breaks planning rules

The Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company has said it would welcome an inquiry into a claim that its £18 million marina has been constructed in breach of planning permission, and has denied it had any agreement with the Royal Irish Yacht Club.

The harbour company told The Irish Times yesterday that it was satisfied the construction complied with planning permission and the terms of the foreshore licence issued by the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources.

Officials from the Department are due to hold a preliminary meeting with the harbour company today about a complaint received over alleged breaches.

An unpublished survey late last year by a town planning consultant, Mr Enda Conway, found that the marina pontoons and jetties extended 30 metres farther west than approved by An Bord Pleanala.

The breakwater sheltering the marina berthing area has also been laid four metres farther north than approved, according to a separate survey for the yacht club. It is one of two breakwaters built at a cost of £12 million with EU and State support.

The complaint was lodged by a private individual, Mr John O'Connor, relying on the yacht club survey. Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council is investigating the complaint, but Mr John Byrne, senior administrative officer with the planning department, said he "could neither confirm nor deny" that a breach had taken place.

Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company said yesterday that it had not seen the report or survey for the yacht club. The company said a report in yesterday's Irish Times that the Royal Irish Yacht Club had entered into an agreement with the harbour company, which was subsequently broken when pontoons were removed last month, was "without foundation".

The yacht club commodore, Mr Fred Espey, was unable to comment, but sources in the club said there had been negotiations with the harbour company after a threat of legal action.

Last September, the Dun Laoghaire harbour master cut the moorings of a number of yachts belonging to yacht club members, saying they were obstructing development work.

The harbour company's chief executive, Mr Michael Hanahoe, confirmed that work was due to start next Tuesday on a new design for fuelling and waste disposal facilities, in line with the planning permission issued by An Bord Pleanala.

The harbour company says more than 300 berths have been sold in the 350-berth first phase of the 680-berth development.