Uproar over Proposed Bray Laundry
(October 25, 2000)
A controversial planning application by Springrove Laundries at Giltspur Lane in Bray has caused uproar following a meeting last Monday night of the Southern Cross Forum of residents associations. Spring Grove Laundry has applied to build a 9,290 square metre laundry facility on a 6.5-acre site on the Southern Cross at the foot of the Little Sugar Loaf. The developers who sold the site to Spring Grove also own an adjacent 18 acres site for which they have applied for outline planning permission for a 200,000 square foot business park.
Residents consider the proposed Laundry inappropriate for the area, pointing to the already overloaded local infrastructure and the fact that this is a large commercial venture which will bring even more commercial traffic into the area. The venture will be operating for 70 hours every week expelling potentially harmful emissions into an already over developed residential area.
The fact that this area was zoned as an "Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty" in the 1989-1999 County Development Plan has also drawn the attention of Green Party Councillor Deirdre de Burca. "I believe that the residents of the Southern Cross area have every reason to be concerned about the development," says councillor de Burca.
The Green party have given their full support to the Southern Cross Forum of residents and have pointed out that the area still lacks the most basic community infrastructure.
As Councillor de Burca points out, the area in question was zoned for light industry back in 1999. According to de Burca this in itself showed a total lack of regard on the part of local Councillors in relation to the environment and its proximity to the Little Sugar Loaf. In supporting the Southern Cross Forum of residents de Burca is adamant that "this development cannot be described as "Light Industrial".
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