Madam, - Your edition of November 6th mentioned that An Bord Pleanála recently granted permission for 1,340 homes in Greystones, including six-storey apartment blocks. These will expand the population so that it will exceed that of Wexford, for instance.
Wicklow County Council and Greystones Town Council had rejected the rezoning needed for this scale of development. This is a developers' charter in the worst traditions of Fianna Fáil.
The Government has recently refused to fund the necessary junction on the N11 even though it has paid for junctions for every other town in Wicklow. Currently it takes 45 minutes to travel the four miles to Bray and the N11 because of traffic congestion. This development will make the traffic worse.
There needs to be a correlation between population growth, roads and other facilities. The recent census showed Dublin city had by far the lowest population expansion in Leinster, apart from Dun Laoghaire. Government policy is inside out, as it should be insisting on lots of high-rise apartments in the city centre, where there is a good infrastructure, instead of huge housing estates 20 miles from the city centre.
It should also ban office building in the centre to allow space for these apartments, to discourage commuting and spread jobs around the region. At a minimum city centre offices should be taxed to contribute to the huge cost of providing transport. - Yours, etc.,
Cllr DEREK MITCHELL (FG), Mayor,Greystones, Co Wicklow.