News and views on Greystones harbour and marina [SEE MODERATOR WARNING POST 1187]

afchrk

Does greystones seafront really need any more benches?

F3 wrote: »

There is too much distracting mis-information available to help with the excuses that will be forthcoming from local Councilors & Politicians when the truth is finally unveiled regarding the cessation of works at the harbour.
It is now more important than ever to keep up the mantra of the only question that matters:
When is the Harbour going to be reopened as an amenity to the people of Greystones?
We should as a community set our sights to an achievable level, which is simply to get WCC to take over the Harbour on a temporary [but long term] basis. This will resolve public liability and maintenance issues in the medium term and allow the amenity to be used. I think this could be a simple enough manifesto for any party in the forthcoming election. Once we get this commitment from WCC, we grass seed the entire site, put in a tarmac path and a few benches, and I think this should be sufficient lipstick to make this gorilla look attractive. I'm certain if this does not happen, we will be looking at the newly reinforced hordings for the next 10 years.

pixbyjohn

Is the land where the apartments etc. were to be built now owned by NAMA, and if it is maybe it would be too costly for WCC to buy it back to make a public area of it.

loyatemu

afchrk wrote: »

Does greystones seafront really need any more benches?

yeah, the area between the harbour and the beach is like a linear cemetery with all the granite memorial benches. I know people want to commemorate their loved ones but its getting ridiculous.

Tabnabs

I wouldn't be so keen to see WCC take over this (and that's never going to happen as pixbyjohn pointed out). They have made such a furore about the whole scheme, banging on about a "world class harbour" etc. instead of keeping stum and letting Sispar get on with it and then come in on their high horse if/when the project stalls.

All their credibility is spent and they are no white knight in this issue. To my mind, they are in it up to their necks just as Sispar are but the two individual councillors who are making the most noise can just walk away with no culpability and that's the biggest travesty in this sorry saga.

I'm glad I didn't agree a wager on the completion of this as the rumours I'm hearing are not good and the spotlight should be firmly focussed on two certain councillors to see how much responsibility is shared by them for this debacle.

Blanchflower

Tabnabs wrote: »

I wouldn't be so keen to see WCC take over this (and that's never going to happen as pixbyjohn pointed out). They have made such a furore about the whole scheme, banging on about a "world class harbour" etc. instead of keeping stum and letting Sispar get on with it and then come in on their high horse if/when the project stalls.

All their credibility is spent and they are no white knight in this issue. To my mind, they are in it up to their necks just as Sispar are but the two individual councillors who are making the most noise can just walk away with no culpability and that's the biggest travesty in this sorry saga.

I'm glad I didn't agree a wager on the completion of this as the rumours I'm hearing are not good and the spotlight should be firmly focussed on two certain councillors to see how much responsibility is shared by them for this debacle.

I would also have to agree that Wicklow County Council and its ham-fisted Fianna Fail and Fine Gael county councillors are responsible for the fiasco that is the Greystones Harbour development. They have no credibility whatsoever. Shame on them and their inept dealings and the way they ignored the people of Greystones (10,000 letters of objection to An Bord Pleanala). As predicted we are now left with a white elephant of an abandoned building site where once stood an public amenity of unique beauty. It makes me mad to see Councillors Jones, Mitchell, Hayden and Kelleher swanning around Greystones oblivious to the mess they have made of the place.

These are the people responsible for this fiasco::mad:

Blandpebbles

Blanchflower, pure brilliance!

Everyone should these photos on their doors 'saying go on I dare you to knock'.

pixbyjohn

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pixbyjohn

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pixbyjohn

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pixbyjohn

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Fiachra2

Below is a press release form Tom Fortune about the removal of the hoardings.

The significant feature is that SISPAR have committed to restoring the harbour even if they don’t get NAMA funding and don’t build anything else. If you have a look around inside the harbour now it would take very little to open it up and it looks as though that is what they are preparing to do. So fingers crossed!

Hoardings at Greystones harbour may come down by summer 2011

Chairman of Wicklow County Council Tom Fortune has announced that, following a meeting with the developers of Greystones harbour, he is optimistic that the hoardings around the harbour will come down, in part at least, in 2011.

“I arranged a meeting with SISPAR at which I expressed the frustration of the local community that the hoardings were still standing three years into the project and I pressed them for some timescale for their removal. In response the developers confirmed that they believe they will receive funding from NAMA for the next phase of the development. If this work commences then the hoardings, from the south end of the harbour up to a point near the harbour café, will be removed hopefully as early as June 2011.

However I also put it to SISPAR that many people in Greystones do not believe that the next phase of the project would qualify for NAMA funding as it would not generate cash to offset outstanding loans on the project. I stated that it was very important that we know what the developers intentions were should the next phase of the project not proceed. In this regard they assured me that they would work with the community to restore the area as an amenity.

This is an important assurance because it means is that, even if the next phase of the development does not proceed, we should still see a substantial amount of the hoardings removed, and if all goes well, this could be as early as summer 2011.

Cllr Fortune concluded by saying that all Greystones residents, no matter what their views on the harbour development, are united in one thing. They would all dearly love to see the hoardings at the harbour, come down and be able to view the sea again.

“Now at last that possibility is in sight”



Tom Fortune 0862488195

Charlie-Bravo

besides the apartments and commercial units, what's left to build?? Clubhouses? Is the harbour finished to a useable state?

Tabnabs

astrofluff wrote: »

besides the apartments and commercial units, what's left to build?? Clubhouses? Is the harbour finished to a useable state?

No, it's a long way off finished other than for launching and recovering from the slipway.

That latest press statement would make me nervous. It sounds like Sispar are putting together an exit strategy. Give the locals what they want and slip quietly away... The councillors can then berate them all they like as they are no longer involved. I really don't see what removing the hoarding will achieve? It's still a very large building site and cannot be opened to the public for obvious reasons. Keeping pressure on councillor and builder alike is the only way forward.

F3

Tabnabs wrote: »

No, it's a long way off finished other than for launching and recovering from the slipway.

That latest press statement would make me nervous. It sounds like Sispar are putting together an exit strategy. Give the locals what they want and slip quietly away... The councillors can then berate them all they like as they are no longer involved. I really don't see what removing the hoarding will achieve? It's still a very large building site and cannot be opened to the public for obvious reasons. Keeping pressure on councillor and builder alike is the only way forward.

I can understand your concerns but its a strategy nonetheless. A strategy that could ignite micro economic recovery by creating Greystones as a destination town.[prosperity to Restaurants, B&B's, retail, coffee shops, we might even get a 30 bed hotel open at the La Touche again!] Sispar Ltd might be encumbered with funding difficulties that have been transposed to NAMA, but a strategy that could open up "an" amenity is better than "no" amenity. The process of converting the 'building site' into a seaside park capable of being used safely by the public is not as big a task as one might think. The costs of doing so could be money well spent by Sisks & Parks as a public relations exercise diffusing what will most certainly will be large scale public unrest and most certainly create negative publicity, if nothing is done. We may not get the project completed [in terms of public hard & soft landscaped areas] as we would have hoped or indeed as promised, but we should get a temporary solution that is a realistic compromise that we could live with until all matters are finally resolved [in 5 or 10 years time]. I would however like to see Sisks & Park committing their assurances to Tom Fortune, publically and in writing, setting out precisely how this can be achieved, leaving only a rubber-stamping exercise to be executed by WCC. I would also like to see commitment from the other Greystones town councillors to a "solution strategy" instead of either sitting on the fence or continuing to maintain untenable positions [we've had enough politicians indulging in this practice recently]. They should remember when circumstances change, public elected representatives have a duty to identify change and respond accordingly in the interest of the town and nothing else.

cuddlycavies

Yep, well said. There is a huge opportunity to salvage something here. I cant feel sorry for the deveoper here. They made fortunes at the gambling table that was and lost on this final card. Thanks for the harbour walls now FO. This could provide jobs for people on the dole if it was taken on as a clean up project. I have always wished we had a planked walk all the way to Wicklow Head for our town also. This could be done now whilst labour is cheap and people have nothing else to do. We would be left with major attractions. People could train to Wicklow, walk to Greystones, eat ,drink and train home.

micandre

Hello,

Looking at the url below there doesn't seem to have been any liaison committee meetings since Oct 2009. I'm not sure if the meeting stopped or nobody bothered creating meeting minutes. I've sent an email to the email address on the url to query this.

There's a lot of people who attended the meetings from various interest groups.

Greystones Harbour Community Liaison Committee
http://www.greystonesharbour.ie/further_info.html

Fiachra2

These meetings (according to the people I know who attended them)were very infrequent and consisted of a lecture from the County Council rather than a discussion. (This is what you might expect) To be honest they are fairly irrelevant at this stage.

However see todays Irish times where SISPAR do seem to be commiting themselves to the course of action they agreed with Tom Fortune.

F3

Fiachra2 wrote: »

These meetings (according to the people I know who attended them)were very infrequent and consisted of a lecture from the County Council rather than a discussion. (This is what you might expect) To be honest they are fairly irrelevant at this stage.

However see todays Irish times where SISPAR do seem to be commiting themselves to the course of action they agreed with Tom Fortune.

I read it, and like you said, it's a press release from Tom Fortune. But I'm not convinced yet. Sispar, should take the southern hoardings down now, a positive or negative 'decision' from NAMA (and it will be negative, I'm in no doubt) will make no difference to the hoardings to the south of the development and in front of the Beach House. Why not work with the community of GREYSTONES now Mr. Sisk and Mr. Cotter? If you're quick you can sow grass this March in time for the summer? No press release from any other members of the Town Council on this matter?

Jimjay

I have to say that the pic of the harbour in the Irish times make it look really nice.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0201/1224288693669.html

Just needs some landscaping and public gardens and it will be spot on.

Langerland

"“In response, the developers confirmed they believe they will receive funding from Nama for the next phase of the development. If this work commences, then the hoardings, from the south end of the harbour up to a point near the harbour café, will be removed hopefully as early as June 2011,” he said."

Is my understanding right here.... The hoardings will come down only IF this work commences and this will only commence IF they receive further funding from NAMA?

F3

Langerland wrote: »

"“In response, the developers confirmed they believe they will receive funding from Nama for the next phase of the development. If this work commences, then the hoardings, from the south end of the harbour up to a point near the harbour café, will be removed hopefully as early as June 2011,” he said."

Is my understanding right here.... The hoardings will come down only IF this work commences and this will only commence IF they receive further funding from NAMA?

My concerns precisely, I can see no reason nor indeed a mandate for NAMA to fund the medical centre. The Community of Greystones should demand a clear and concise combined statement from Wicklow County Council & Sispar and not the fuzzy nonsense that has been quoted in the papers that gives the impression as if something is going to be done. It resonates of a quote from a past Taoiseach who said "......eh...ah...eh...ah E' at dis stage we're ruling nutting in and eh..ah..eh we're ruling nutting out"

RosieJoe

I think it is time to call in this lot!

Sticky Fingers

Hi All, This has been bugging me for a while. I am sick and tired of looking at the horrible hoardings at the harbour. Since they seem to have stopped any major work at the site, it is time they took them down. Unfortunately the builders have put up new fencing and have re-enforced the hoardings from beyond the Sailing Club to the anchor. There was an article in the Irish Times last week saying that they will be down by June, but I find that hard to believe. Why would the the builders go to the expense of putting up new hoardings if this was the case. I have a suggestion, remove the hoardings right away and plant grass on all of the area and make it more attractive and it would take the horrible look off the whole area. It would give the entire area a big lift and be a great facility for all of us locals. What does anyone think of this idea ? Thanks !

Fiachra2

[Is my understanding right here.... The hoardings will come down only IF this work commences and this will only commence IF they receive further funding from NAMA?[/QUOTE]

Not exactly. What they have said is that IF NAMA provides them with funding they will commence work on the medical center and in doing so, will remove the hoardings at the south end of the harbour. This could happen as early as June 2011

If NAMA does not give them funding then they will remove the hoarding anyway.

However they may not get a response form NAMA by next june in which case they are not committed to removing the hoardings.

Howver as has been pointed out they have now committed to removing the hoardings one way or the other. Tom Fortune will pursue this matter with them once the election is over with a view to getting agreement to taking the hoardings down by the summer . But it would be no harm to raise the matter with the other candidates should they call to your door!!

vinpaul

Yesterday I saw some containers being loaded onto large trucks. All action taking place at end of new South Pier. Wonder what was going on. Today just 2 containers left. Anyone know where did they came from and where they were going. Surely they didn't arrive by sea!!
Start of commercial activity at Greystones Docks!!!

F3

vinpaul wrote: »

Yesterday I saw some containers being loaded onto large trucks. All action taking place at end of new South Pier. Wonder what was going on. Today just 2 containers left. Anyone know where did they came from and where they were going. Surely they didn't arrive by sea!!
Start of commercial activity at Greystones Docks!!!

I glanced at them whilst passing two days ago, it looks like they are removing the modular pontoons used in the marine works.

pixbyjohn

pixbyjohn

recedite

Eh.... where do people think this grass is going to be planted?
When the hoardings come down soon we will have public access to a bigger harbour than the old one. That's concrete and stones; no soil.
However, all the area to the north of it (formerly beach access and football pitches) which was supposed to be a new park will remain closed, except for the new fenced in path down to the stony beach area.
That whole area is a sea of mud, with deep excavations; very unsafe. They would not be spending money on fortifying the area with heavy duty palisade fencing sunk into concrete unless they expected to close it off for a very long time.

pixbyjohn