Madam, - Frank McNally rightly says that Slane, Co Meath is a place of both "extravagant natural beauty" and immense historical and cultural importance, dating back to neolithic times (An Irishman's Diary, January 29th). He notes the alarming paradox whereby this village is now seriously in decline, and even, he suggests, in danger of "death".
McNally identifies the two chief causes of this decline. The first is that the village is "choked with traffic" and in urgent need of a bypass (promised for the past two decades).
The second is the decision taken in the early 1990s to locate an interpretative centre for the neolithic passage-graves at Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth on the opposite side of the river from Slane (and from Newgrange itself). As a consequence, the annual stream of visitors to this World Heritage Site has been diverted away from the village.
However, he omits to mention the most immediate and insidious threat of all to the very fabric of this Georgian village - the greed of property developers seeking to benefit from the "densification" of any available urban location reasonably close to Dublin.
Only strong opposition from interested local groups and individuals have thus far held the line and protected Slane. During 2006 and 2007, developers have attempted to build high-density developments on two of the village's most prized sites, both within an architectural conservation area (ACA). In November 2006, a developer applied to Meath County Council for permission to build 30 dwellings on the site of the garden of one of the "Four Sister" Georgian houses which delineate the village Square.
Individual residents, some residents' groups, local conservation groups, including the Boyne Valley Trust, as well as national organisations such as An Taisce and the Irish Georgian Society - but not, alas, Slane (Community) Forum - submitted powerful objections to this destructive plan and in December 2006, Meath County Council refused permission, on a host of grounds.
In May 2007, another developer submitted plans to build 90 dwellings of various kinds on a second site, also within the village centre and the ACA. Once again, numerous objections - though once again, alas, none from Slane (Community) Forum - were lodged with Meath County Council. Thankfully, permission was refused.
However, on November 13th, a "variation" was added to the County Development Plan, changing the order of priority for the release of residentially zoned land. It explicitly prohibits any development on a greenfield site on the edge of Slane, and specifies instead that any development are must take place right in the village centre - including on those two sites for which permission had so recently been refused. What on earth, ask Slane residents, can the motivation be?
In any case, it is important to note that this proposal, and its potentially disastrous consequences, run directly contrary to recommendations of the report produced last week by Philip Goeghegan of UCD. It stresses the need to "take the pressure off the village to develop, as it has a very limited capacity to do so without irreparable loss of the landscape which enfolds and penetrates the village. Conservation should be the Bigger Picture for the village centre." Geoghegan is emphatic that, should any development be judged necessary, it ought to take place on the north-east edge of the village, and not in the centre.
Philip Geoghegan's report was jointly funded by Meath County Council and Slane (Community) Forum. It is to be hoped that, when councillors vote on this notorious variation, they will realise that it runs contrary to the Geoghegan report. It is also devoutly to be wished that that Slane Community Forum will in future be guided by the letter and spirit of the report which it commissioned.
Slane, and in particular its village Square and centre, were once the jewel in the crown of the Boyne Valley. Let us hope it may have at least some of its dignity restored before it celebrates its 250th birthday in two years' time. - Yours, etc,
BRENDAN KING, Churchlands, Slane, Co Meath.