Reach For The Beach Campaign

Reach For The Beach

The Reach For The Beach campaign aims at restoring and maintaining the access to the North Beach at the site of the "Old Gap Bridge". The access there as been maintained up to a year ago (roughly!). Now, it has been left to the elements.
It is virtually impossible to get to the beach there any more. So, a few of us in The Grove, Anne, Maureen, John and Yann, have decided to take upon ourselves to look after this matter for the good of every one that use or used to be able to use this access onto the North Beach.
We have launched an online petition a couple of weeks ago. Now, we have received the help of few places in Greystones (list below) to collect support to our campaign. I have attached a copy of our pledge to this post. You can look for and sign our petition at :

• Pebbles Cafe/Deli, Blacklion shopping centre (near Lidl)
• Blacklion Fine Food Fare, Blacklion shopping centre (near Curves)
• Roche's Chemist
• The Happy Pear, Church street

Weare calling on all the lovers of the North Beach to join us into this campaign.

Thanks

RFTB Team

The Durutti Column

Best of luck collecting signatures. We'll be watching out for you today, keep up the good work.

Reach For The Beach

Thanks Duruti Column.

Reach For The Beach

Yesterday we did our first campaigning operation "on the ground". Anne and myself spend a couple of hours yesterday on the Bray walk at the cross path between Ennis Lane and the path to the beach as well as at the gate on the train track at Ennis lane. I have to say we were surprised by the people response to the issue of the beach access. We collect quite a few signature in support of our "cause" and encouragments from people leaving in the area and regular users of the Bray walk.
This is great!

pixbyjohn

Well done and there really is no doubt that everyone in the area is behind your efforts. I wish you success in your campaign

Annasopra

This may end up being an issue in the 2014 local elections (amongst others)

The Durutti Column

Reach For The Beach wrote: »

Yesterday we did our first campaigning operation "on the ground". Anne and myself spend a couple of hours yesterday on the Bray walk at the cross path between Ennis Lane and the path to the beach as well as at the gate on the train track at Ennis lane. I have to say we were surprised by the people response to the issue of the beach access. We collect quite a few signature in support of our "cause" and encouragments from people leaving in the area and regular users of the Bray walk.
This is great!

It's very encouraging for you all, and I don't think you should be surprised by the supportive response.

After all, you are looking only for the restoration of a right of access to the beach which has existed for generations, and which benefits all the community as well as visitors, not just local residents.

Not alone that, as I have pointed out elsewhere, several more access points are due to be provided as part of the Harbour and North Beach section of the Greystones Local Area Plan. So, as far as councillors and council officials are concerned, you should be pushing on an open door by looking for the Gap Bridge access to be restored.

I see one councillor has signed your online petition. Let's hope the rest follow suit and for once unite in supporting a righteous community demand.

recedite

Reach For The Beach wrote: »

The Reach For The Beach campaign aims at restoring and maintaining the access to the North Beach at the site of the "Old Gap Bridge". The access there as been maintained up to a year ago (roughly!). Now, it has been left to the elements.

I can't remember the exact timescale, but that half-arsed access ramp was a short lived structure. Prior to that there were signs up for a long time forbidding access, due to the dangers of falling masonry from the gap bridge and the slippery slope.
I'm not sure why they made the ramp, maybe they thought that with the gap bridge finally gone, the area would be stable. or maybe it was a sop to the public because they had shut off all the other access points along the North Beach from the old harbour right up along the road to Darcy's Field ( now the muddy area behind the fence)
The fact is, it is now more unstable than ever, and as well as the cliff, huge chunks of masonry are collapsing down onto the beach from the stream/aqueduct.

My question is, are you trying to restore an access path by voluntary efforts/labour, or are you lobbying to get the council to take it on?
The issue of who (if anyone) will take responsibility for public liability arises.
I would like to see access restored there, and IMO it could be done, but it would require lots of rock armour and concrete.

Annasopra

Their facebook page is here

http://facebook.com/profile.php?id=369868286429731&refid=46

Reach For The Beach

recedite wrote: »

I can't remember the exact timescale, but that half-arsed access ramp was a short lived structure. Prior to that there were signs up for a long time forbidding access, due to the dangers of falling masonry from the gap bridge and the slippery slope.
I'm not sure why they made the ramp, maybe they thought that with the gap bridge finally gone, the area would be stable. or maybe it was a sop to the public because they had shut off all the other access points along the North Beach from the old harbour right up along the road to Darcy's Field ( now the muddy area behind the fence)
The fact is, it is now more unstable than ever, and as well as the cliff, huge chunks of masonry are collapsing down onto the beach from the stream/aqueduct.

My question is, are you trying to restore an access path by voluntary efforts/labour, or are you lobbying to get the council to take it on?
The issue of who (if anyone) will take responsibility for public liability arises.
I would like to see access restored there, and IMO it could be done, but it would require lots of rock armour and concrete.

Well we intend to get the council to take responsibility for this access. It is to our understanding part of the project for the Harbour and North Beach to have accesses built and maintained. Now, We believe that it is not going to be simple to get this issue dealt with.
But, the council looks after the South Beach so why not the North Beach. What has happened with the harbour and the "temporary" closure area for years and destruction of the Gap Bridge are past issues. We want to make the council and sisk take their responsabilities and fullfill their commitments to the public :
" provision of coastal protection from the harbour/marina to at least 250m past the Gap Bridge. Cliffs to be re-graded and high level and low level walks with occasional access to the beach provided with appropriate planting on the slopes and side of the walkways."
Development Plan variation No. 6.2003 of the Planning and Development Acts 2000

I know it is a bit old but it was voted and passed.

RFTB Team

Reach For The Beach

pixbyjohn wrote: »

Well done and there really is no doubt that everyone in the area is behind your efforts. I wish you success in your campaign

Thanks PixbyJohn. And keep the good work with your pictures of the North Beach.

RFTB

Reach For The Beach

Hi all.

I will be again at the cross between the Bray walk, the path to the North beach and Ennis Lane today after 2.00PM to try to get some more support for our campaign.
Spread the word !

RFTB

recedite

Reach For The Beach wrote: »

We want to make the council and sisk take their responsabilities and fullfill their commitments to the public :
" provision of coastal protection from the harbour/marina to at least 250m past the Gap Bridge. Cliffs to be re-graded and high level and low level walks with occasional access to the beach provided with appropriate planting on the slopes and side of the walkways."
Development Plan variation No. 6.2003 of the Planning and Development Acts 2000

I know it is a bit old but it was voted and passed.

RFTB Team

Yes, a lot of pretty promises were made back then.
The developers put in the path last year down to the very bleak "new beach" just north of the marina pier, so that may satisfy the requirement for "occasional access" at least until they develop the Sisk housing site.
Seeing as that development is stalled for the foreseeable future, WCC should really be working on the access from The Grove by themselves, independent of any harbour and Sisk issues. Its part of their remit to maintain public facilities.

Reach For The Beach

The Durutti Column wrote: »

It's very encouraging for you all, and I don't think you should be surprised by the supportive response.

After all, you are looking only for the restoration of a right of access to the beach which has existed for generations, and which benefits all the community as well as visitors, not just local residents.

Not alone that, as I have pointed out elsewhere, several more access points are due to be provided as part of the Harbour and North Beach section of the Greystones Local Area Plan. So, as far as councillors and council officials are concerned, you should be pushing on an open door by looking for the Gap Bridge access to be restored.

I see one councillor has signed your online petition. Let's hope the rest follow suit and for once unite in supporting a righteous community demand.

Hey,

Could you point to me the councillor's name on the petition? As I cannot figure out who it is.

Thanks

RFTB

Reach For The Beach

recedite wrote: »

Yes, a lot of pretty promises were made back then.
The developers put in the path last year down to the very bleak "new beach" just north of the marina pier, so that may satisfy the requirement for "occasional access" at least until they develop the Sisk housing site.
Seeing as that development is stalled for the foreseeable future, WCC should really be working on the access from The Grove by themselves, independent of any harbour and Sisk issues. Its part of their remit to maintain public facilities.

That is our point. Good to know that We are not the only ones thinking that way.

RFTB

Annasopra

Reach For The Beach wrote: »

Hey,

Could you point to me the councillor's name on the petition? As I cannot figure out who it is.

Thanks

RFTB

No 30 is Grainne Loughlin - Maybe TDC presumed this was Cllr Grainne McLoughlin - Maybe it is and she spelled her name wrong

aynneone

Hi there,

Yes, its Grainne who can always be counted on to provide support, think she does more work than everyone else put together!!!.. Myself and Yann had another fruitful few hours collecting signatures this afternoon, people actually coming over to ask could they sign, and I personally got several e-mail addresses with people wanting to know was there anything they could do to help, in fact, in a way Ive been fighting this on a hugely personal issue, and have been both saddened and uplifted by the amount of people who have been feeling exactly the same. None arguing the issue that access can be got via the cove, but there are an awful lot of people like myself, who for practical reasons couldnt walk all the way to the cove, up to the Red Rocks, and then back to the beach again...so onwards and upwards!!

Anne (The Grove)

Reach For The Beach

Hi,

A quick update on where our petition can be found in Greystones :

You can find our petition on a blue clipboard at the till in the Blacklion Fine Food store as well as Pebbles Cafe/Deli (near Lidl). Then, in the Happy Pear our blue clipboard is on their notice board in the corridor between the shop and the deli part of the building.

Spread the word!

We have collected well over 300 signature at this stage. Please let you friends and close ones know about our cause. We need a lot more !
The only thing that will work is your voice as a voter !

RFTB team

The Durutti Column

Reach For The Beach wrote: »

Hey,

Could you point to me the councillor's name on the petition? As I cannot figure out who it is.

Thanks

RFTB

Grainne McLoughlin

Reach For The Beach

Greatings to all,

A quick update on our campaign. The collection of signatures for our petition is still going well. The interest and support from the public is growing strong.
Last Tuesday at a council meeting concern about our campaign has been brought up by a councilor (unknown). He or She put to the council his/ her concern about the the Reach for the beach campaign on the social media. We got this piece of information from a trusted source that was at the meeting. We also know that the response of Mr Sean Quirk to our pledge was pretty clear : "there no way that they get an access to the beach there".
I would like to remind Mr Quirk that Sispar opened/ re-opened the access to the North Beach in 2008 after demolishing the Gap bridge. We have proof of this argument coming from their own documentation!

There are some quotes from Anglers that are concerned about being able to go fishing to the North Beach from the Grove again:

- "i was always fond of that beach always threw up fish for me down by the grove over the tracks an fished to the left about 150yards up was snag free but last time was there was losing everything tackle graveyard now i think an tide also nearly cut us off that day."

- "I fished the grove two nights ago, plenty of dogs whiting and a couple of plaice all fish caught at distance.
by the looks of things it might have been one of the last times i get to down the grove end due to the cliff erosion the ramp that was put in place a couple of years ago when they took the old tunnel out is nearly gone :evil: cant see them fixing it at this stage :?"

Source: Sea Angling Ireland
Shore Angling & Boat Fishing in Ireland


PS : We'd like to ask to all of you if you have in your possession pictures showing the access to the North Beach at the site of the "Old Gap Bridge" between 2008 and 2011 that you would be willing to allow us to use as part of our argumentation when we go to the authorities. Thank you

Reach For The Beach

Anne pointed out a this post on Councilor Derek Mitchel's Web-site answering a statement by T.D Stephen Donnelly on the 7th of June 2012. To me it shows how ambiguous the question of the access to the North Beach is :

I quote Mr Derek Mitchel : "Access to Greystones North Beach is currently available from a path North of the harbour and has recently been improved by Sispar. The North Beach does get cut off by high tide but this has often been the case in the past. Access from the old Gap Bridge was closed a decade ago...
before the harbour construction started, by fencing, because of the erosion. Donnelly’s statement that there has always been direct access to the sea on the entire North Beach is not correct. Over the past century the severe erosion has been, on average, a bit under a metre a year and this will continue. The erosion since construction started is in line with historical averages and the contract.

Donnelly wants the newly grassed area to be open to the public. However to produce a surface suitable for walking would need lots of top soil, would cost about €500,000 and would take much longer. Sispar are currently importing a mixture of a small amount of top soil mixed with mostly sub soil. Meadow grass will be sown on this at an overall cost of about €100,000. Most of the work on this site will be covered when building starts so an expensive surface will be largely wasted. Large quantities of top soil are not currently available, because of construction decline, which would delay a better surface.

The next most important item for the town is getting the marina open which will produce tourism and many benefits and this is where resources should be spent and what I will be concentrating on.

The country is in a terrible mess and T.D.s should concentrate on sorting it out, not on local issues where they don’t know the facts. This is what Donnelly stated he would do in his election manifesto but is now ignoring."

A part from the political rant against Stephen Donnelly T.D I find that in this statement that Councilor Mitchel the part about the access to the beach and I quote : "Access to Greystones North Beach is currently available from a path North of the harbour and has recently been improved by Sispar. The North Beach does get cut off by high tide but this has often been the case in the past. Access from the old Gap Bridge was closed a decade ago before the harbour construction started, by fencing, because of the erosion." is very ambiguous at best.

He says first that access to the beach is currently available from a path north of the harbour and has been improved by sispar which to me, IS the access off the Bray walk at the Grove that was opened/ reopened by Sispar in 2008 after the demolition of the Old Gap Bridge.

But in the same sentence he states that the access to the North Beach at the site of the gap bridge was closed decades ago before the construction of the harbour. It has been closed because no one took responsibilities for maintaining the Gap Bridge in good condition and keep the area safe. The access TO the beach was closed but the access FROM the beach was not!

I do not want to look like that I support either political parties or lobbying groups involved in this battlefield that the harbour and north beach as become but I cannot stop myself thinking that :Councilors and Sisk cannot keep hiding behind the inevitable erosion of the coast and improving tourism in Greystones.

There are techniques to slow down erosion and a marina is only going to interest a tiny category of rich owners of boats. Lets be honnest.
I think that proper, safe, clean and multiple access to the North Beach for tourists that walk the Bray walk would bring a lot more for tourism in Greystones. By standing on the path to collect signatures I could easily see that there are a lot more tourists on the Bray walk going to Greystones that there will ever be coming by sea to land in the marina. It is very difficult to fit a boat on a Ryannair flight!

What do you think?

Yann RFTB team

Fiachra2

I wouldnt bother comparing the marina and the walk. The marina was never more than an excuse to build apartments. If it was profitable in itself then it would have been built by now. If it gets built-and I doubt it-it will do little more than serve as a convenience for a handfull of sailors like me who live locally. You are totally correct however to say that the tourism from the cliff walk will be more beneficial to the town economically. The marina will bring some visiting yachts from Dun Laoghaire and the like but the spend will not be huge.

I would sugest having a look at the EIS for the marina. Im fairly sure it referred to access points to the beach from the cliff walk.

I would ignore Cllr Mitchel's arrant nonsense about erosion. He stated at the TC meeting last week that the coastline had eroded at a rate of 1M per year for the last 120 years. That would mean that at the end of the 19th century the coastline was approx 400 feet further out to sea than it is now. There would therfore have been almost no bay in greystones. A look at any photograph from the period will illustrate how nonsensical this statement is.

On the plus side I think you will find some sympathy from most Councillors for your cause. I would suggest writing to all of them and asking for a letter of support.

recedite

Reach For The Beach wrote: »

He says first that access to the beach is currently available from a path north of the harbour and has been improved by sispar which to me, IS the access off the Bray walk at the Grove that was opened/ reopened by Sispar in 2008 after the demolition of the Old Gap Bridge.

I'd say he means the new path, it goes between the palisade fencing down to some concrete steps, emerging just north of the closed off pier at the new Alcatraz Beach.

Reach For The Beach

I do think that this quote : "Access to Greystones North Beach is currently available from a path North of the harbour and has recently been improved by Sispar..." refers to the work that has been done in 2008 by sispar after they knocked down the "Gap Bridge".
We have hard evidences of them boasting about the improvement of the access to the North Beach at that place (sorry need to keep that document for ourselves for now).
Saying that it is very ambiguous...

RFTB

recedite

You would have to ask the councillor himself, to be sure of what he meant.
But you may be barking up the wrong tree on this. The Town Council is due to be eradicated in 18 months, and the rats are already starting to leave the sinking ship. Those that remain have no incentive to work; there is no possibility of re-election. Its going to be like the last week at school for them.

pixbyjohn

Off topic but worth a mention I think.... there is an incentive for some Greystones Town Councillors to work hard in the remaining time of GTC because the representation on Wicklow County Council is being enlarged in the next election. So there will be many of the GTC who are not already CC will be contesting the county elections.

Annasopra

pixbyjohn wrote: »

Off topic but worth a mention I think.... there is an incentive for some Greystones Town Councillors to work hard in the remaining time of GTC because the representation on Wicklow County Council is being enlarged in the next election. So there will be many of the GTC who are not already CC will be contesting the county elections.

I was about to say the same thing. However we don't know if Greystones will be enlarged from 4 county councillors or not. The boundary review could change the wicklow county council boundaries around. For example Kilcoole could potentially be shoved in with Wicklow Town. I emphasise potentially. We don't know what will happen.

aynneone

Actually what Yann is referring to was a written pledge made by Sispar in 2008, complete with picture of access 'after' the Gap Bridge was removed, they had made a pathway down to the beach themselves, and even went as far as gravelling it to make it passable, I well remember this, I would actually go as far as saying the job that Sispar themselves made the beach even more accessible than it was previously when the Gap Bridge was standing, so they accepted that there needed to be a pathway there. HOWEVER, I feel we have to be very careful with the 'he said, she said they said', and even more careful not to get caught up in finger pointing and blaming, I think approaching this in a more positive way, and seeing if we can get as many people on our side to give us support is what we are about, not getting caught up in the bigger battle .

Anne

Blanchflower

aynneone wrote: »

Actually what Yann is referring to was a written pledge made by Sispar in 2008, complete with picture of access 'after' the Gap Bridge was removed, they had made a pathway down to the beach themselves, and even went as far as gravelling it to make it passable, I well remember this, I would actually go as far as saying the job that Sispar themselves made the beach even more accessible than it was previously when the Gap Bridge was standing, so they accepted that there needed to be a pathway there. HOWEVER, I feel we have to be very careful with the 'he said, she said they said', and even more careful not to get caught up in finger pointing and blaming, I think approaching this in a more positive way, and seeing if we can get as many people on our side to give us support is what we are about, not getting caught up in the bigger battle .

Anne

Promises and commitments made by Sispar during the disasterous Celtic Tiger Era are not worth the paper they are written on. The Sispar entity no longer has any bank funding and is technically insolvent. As everyone knows Sispar has left the Greystones Harbour area in a total shambles. They continue to make hollow promises just to buy themselves more time. Nobody believes anything from them anymore :mad:

pixbyjohn

Gap Bridge 1st. April 2006 by pixbyjohn, on Flickr

pixbyjohn

Gap Bridge, 6th August 2006 by pixbyjohn, on Flickr