Save Bray Seafront

by Bray save our seafront - Save our seafront Bray Wed Jul 29, 2009 19:36

PRESS RELEASE

Related links: http://www.indymedia.ie/article/93342
www.bebo.com/savebrayseafront

New Group forms to oppose the so called “Riveria” apartments at Bray seafront

A new group entitled “Save Bray Seafront” is forming to oppose current plans to build large scale apartments at the Star Leisure/ Dawsons site and will campaign to maximize the number of objections against the project which is completely out of scale with the town’s Victorian History and seaside Legacy. Already the group has received a number of hits on the internet and intends to link up with other groups to protect the coastline.

Local Ballybrack ward People before Profit Cllr. Hugh Lewis say’s:

“Bray Seafront is a much valued public amenity that is enjoyed by the people of Bray and beyond, any plans to part privatise the area will be met with stiff opposition and people power. Any development of the seafront should be for the people of Bray only, not for private greed.”

Dun Laoghaire P.B.P.A and chair of the Save our Seafront campaign Cllr. Richard Boyd Barrett say’s:

“Several years ago we led a campaign to stop the private development on the site of Dun Laoghaire Baths, now developers have their eyes on Bray Seafront too. After years of failed unnecessary private developments that have led to the current economic crisis, it is outrageous that such plans could ever be considered. We fully support the objectives of the newly founded Save Bray Seafront campaign.”

Speaking this week campaigner and former election candidate Wayne Tobin said:
“ I do not believe that current plans for the seafront area in the best interests of future generations and will vehemently oppose any plans to build apartments in the region-its not just the scale but such eyesores are of no benefit to the wider community but instead part of the culture of greed which centers on rushed ‘for profit’ bad planning”

Further information : 085 765 9347

by Born and Bred in Bray Wed Jul 29, 2009 20:36

Having lived in Bray all my life, it is sickening to see the way the commercial hub and heart of the down has died a death over the past ten years while towns around us like Arklow etc., have grown from strength to strength.

We need to bring back the commercial centre to Main Street as at the moment there is absolutely nothing there to attract anyone to the town and even the locals are shopping elsewhere.

For heavens sake we don't even have a cinema with the huge population of ours. Those who head to Dundrum to the cinema once or twice a week also shop there so no wonder business is dead on Bray Main Street.

Look at the number of shops closed and for rent. Nobody wants them.

Look at the eyesore on the main street of the buildings propped up and large gaps where the Florentine, another white elephant, was supposed to be.

There should definitely be no commercial apartments down on the beach to take away the original Victorian look of our seafront.

The railings shown in the photo along the promenade were very attractive and known the world over on postcards from Bray. They should be repainted again in their vibrant blue and orange.

There has been talk of casino and slot machines coming to the town possibly where the Royal Cinema stood. We do not want gambling and gaming in our town. With the way the Government is treating us we are almost penniless and the most disadvantaged in our society will be the very ones who will go and spend their dole in those casinos and gamgling dens if they are allowed to come into our town.

Therefore the real locals, the salt of the earth Bray people who have lived and loved our town all our lives want it left alone no developers in to make a quick buck thank you very much. They are a blight on the landscape in many of our towns around the country and Bray is definitely not going to join them with our Action Committees and groups ready to take a stand against them.

by Bray man - Supporter of Save Bray Seafront Thu Jul 30, 2009 09:11

It appears to me that no proper public consultation exists in the planning process and communities must merely rubber stamp decisions. We need radical refrom of the pallnning process where ordinary people have a say over the kind of development that occurs in the area they live.

View without Benidorm Apartments

Our seafront

by Trish Thu Jul 30, 2009 15:18

It's not just in Bray but throughout the country that this is happening. Many moons ago I visited Bray on a very regular basis and must say when I heard the HEIGHT of the proposed development from a relative in the town I was disgusted. So this campaign has my thumbs up and get the slot machines out while you are at it!

by Margaret Thu Jul 30, 2009 16:12

One only has to take a trip along the Dart line to Bray in order to see the beauty of the coastline coming in to Bray. The vista from the Dart sweeping along the curve of Killiney Bay and along to Bray with the majestic Bray Head standing proudly overlooking our town is a joy to behold no matter how many times we view this beautiful panorama.

We always make sure our friends and visitors travel at least once on the Dart to Bray to get this magnificent view, unspoilt by centuries and left as nature intended, the small town of Bray nestling under the protective gaze of Bray Head.

Having travelled twice along the coast in Naples Italy this coastline mirrors the Italian coast - where they have the Bay of Naples sweeping along to the magnificance of Vesuvio we have our magnificent sweep of Killiney Bay ending with our own towering and magnificent Bray Head. Such beauty should be left as nature intended and not have high rise apartments such as you see in the Costas blighting this beautiful landscape.

The amusements and gambling dens at the beach in Bray have brought nothing but trouble to the town - undesirables from other areas coming out to cause trouble and mayhem, litter our streets, get into drunken fights on the beach and break into cars. We are well off without them and the litter they throw around giving us the unenviable title of Dirty Old Bray.

What Bray needs is a commercial heart and new businesses brought to the town centre of Main Street. Main Street has DIED a death in the past ten years having been passed out by commercial innovations in Arklow and other County Wicklow towns while Bray lingered in the doldrums and slid downhill in the commercial rankings in County Wicklow yet it is the main town in the County and the Gateway to the Garden of Ireland.

It is sad to see all the closed down businesses on Main Street with For Rent signs in the windows and nobody wants to rent them just to go out of business through lack of trade.

For a town of its size to think we don't even have a cinema with our growing population. The residents of Bray have to travel to Dundrum once or twice a week to the cinema and while there naturally enough and a credit to them they also do their weekly shopping because they have a choice around them and may as well make it a worthwhile journey.

There is nothing in Bray for the young except pubs and drinking and getting drunk and abusive on our streets. You only have to look at the gangs of youths walking our streets day and night and intimidating the older citizens to see how far downhill the town has gone. Law and order has broken down with lack of facilities.

There are laws against such behaviour of gangs intimidating older folk like this, drinking in public places and doing damage to parked cars and local property. Our guardian's of the peace the Garda Siochana should be active on the streets curbing such behaviour in our town but they seem to be otherwise occupied doing the heavies for local Parish Priests instead of ending the unsocial behaviour of drinking along the promenade and shelters there and on street corners around Quinsboro Road and near other Off Licences in the Vevay every night of the week. Are they not employed to rid us of such nuisances in our town? Who wants to walk the streets of Bray only to be accosted by drunken yobs with not one member of the Gardai in sight?

If the developers want to come to our town it should be to build social facilities for the youth of Bray and older folk and families. We do not want high rise Benidorm style apartments taking away the Victorian look of our shoreline and beach. They come in build an ugly development that leaves a blot forever on our God given landscape and then take off again with the profits in their pockets while the developments attract all the wrong people and fall into decay.

Beautiful Bray needs badly to regain that title. The once proud town with a heart and a commercial centre on Main Street needs to be resurrected with an input of good shops and businesses to bring life back into the town and to make us all proud once again of our Beautiful Bray heritage.

by Wayne Tobin 085-765 9347 - Save Bray Seafront Fri Jul 31, 2009 18:17

Thanks to everyone who turned up this evening. Photos coming soon. Members of the public who we spoke to felt that the apaertments who not suit the seafront area.

by Liza - Save Bray Seafront Wed Aug 05, 2009 12:33

The recession should not become an escuse for bad planning.

Protest

by Dublin Activist Thu Aug 06, 2009 20:02

While you are saving the world and the rest why not fight to get the slot machines out of the kip? My family was TORN APART because of a certain UN-NAMED Bray amusements that (fact) gives FREE tea and coffee and also holds a christmas party with FREE drink THE DAY THE SOCIAL WELFARE XMAS BONUS IS GIVEN OUT! Thats how low it goes. Goodbye Bray and I'm glad to be out of one very CORRUPT little town. But good luck to you.

by T Thu Aug 06, 2009 22:05

That sounds like a legimate issue and perhaps one that not many people are aware of. Perhaps you should start your own campaign on this issue

by Alyson Burke - Save Bray Seafront Thu Aug 13, 2009 23:46

A public meeting will take place on Friday August 14th in the Strand Bar at 8pm.
Save-Our-Seafront Public Meeting

Friday August 14th 8pm Strand Bar
Welcome to all those opposed to inappropriate development.

Speakers include

Cllr Hugh Lewis People Before Profit Alliance and Save Our Seafront Dun Laoire.

Wayne Flanagan- Tobin Community Activist ( Chairing).

Local Residents.

Please come along.

For further information please call or text 085-765 9347 .

by Meeting Goer - no organisation Sat Aug 15, 2009 21:54

Corporate and commercial greed is still here despite our recession and I comgratulate lastnight's YOUNG speakers! I first met Wayne Tobin or (Flanagan Tobin) when he helped me through the death of my son Rory through his group Wicklow Against Suicide and I'm glad to see young folk taking a stand on the destruction of a valuable visual amenity to our town's heritage. More power to him and Cllr Lewis. Mary Rose.

by addicted Mon Aug 17, 2009 01:52

Hi folks, i find the issue very interesting and at same time quite amusing !!!Your fighting over the construction of this new project but at same time have for years turned a blind eye to the gambling that has destroyed so many peoples lifes in bray which is operating on an illegal basis regarding the current laws,however the local guards have turned a bling eye on this and left casinos to operate on what can only be called a skys the limit cash intake!!!!Maybe if so many hadnt turned a blind eye in past to this ,the current proposers of this site would not be in a financial position to undertake such a devolopment,,,,,so why not aswell as putting and focusing all attentions on the project i suggest you take a stand on gambling side of things here regarding more so on laws and controls of these establishments ,,i mean if there is no gambling on the seafront there certainly isnt going to be a reason for this devolopment,,,have think bout this and good luck .

by Unemployed Mon Aug 17, 2009 14:45

I understand that some people will want to keep the seafront as it is but the building of the new apartments will create jobs for unemployed construction workers and when new people move in it will help maintain jobs in the local shops.

by SBS Supporter - Residents Against Racism Tue Aug 18, 2009 00:08

How many local people currently work in that venue?
I attended the meeting and the type of ALTERNATIVES that were suggested would also create jobs without DESTROYING a seafront which I want to bring my Children to and my Grandchildren in years to come. You are thinking in the short term-maybe you can get a job on the Greystones development?? The area is also NOT in the development plan and breaches environmental regulations and is closes to one of the 4 SAAO's in Ireland. Good luck in your job search.

by Kevin - Ex FG Sat Aug 22, 2009 20:58

Forget the environment BULID BUILD BUILD and get us threw the recession!! Don't mind mr.wayne-he is anti-development and calls people "corrupt" without concrete eveidence-he is an ex-GREEN and a fan of Deirdre Geodin de Burca!!

by Lisa-Marie - Bray Resident Sat Aug 29, 2009 23:49

Wicklow is a very very strange place and this campaign has our support in Bray but some of us are afraid of the consequences of getting involved so we will do background work like help deliver the leaflets? Would this be ok?

by D Sun Nov 13, 2011 22:00

According to your Bebo page you support the summer activities ??????. How can you claim to be interested in saving bray beach and support this farce that goes on every summer. The house I was rared in was on the Seafront. Every summer we used to spend all our time Cycling, Skateboarding , Playing football and Wind surfing. With the exception of the latter all the other activities have been banned , yet , every summer,  tacky carnivals and overpriced silly kids rides destroy the Beautiful grass areas and block up the wonderful path ways that the above activities are banned from. On top of this the bandstand ( Which,  again when I was a young child growing up, was used to help promote bands and acts and was designed in a manner for all seafront users to see ,  is covered in disgusting plastic bin liners with an opening that can only be seen from the frequenters of the Martello and Porter house as they consume Alcohol......A great set up for Families!!!! I grew up on the seafront having a wonderful childhood. I intended to raise my kids the same and spent every weekend bringing them up and down the promenade on their bikes and playing football despite the signs telling me not too. I now have to stop doing this during the summer months and yesterday ( November 2011 )  I went for a run and almost got stuck while running on the so called grass area as it had to be completely dug up and grass replanted after the horrible carnival left. The area is still destroyed despite it being November  and I think its farcical that there are signs up (even the one that was destroyed by fumes from one of the  diesel generator's) banning sporting activities for kids.
So I believe if you are genuinely interested in the good of bray seafront you should remove your agreement that you support the summer activities.
Also you should add to your list the removal of those anti-family signs banning the most basic and health promoting activities like cycling , skateboarding and football and also removing those horrible Space style lights and re-instigate the beautiful Georgian style lamps that were there some years ago. The planners must not have been told that this was a Georgian seafront. I agree with the Blue railings.

by Liar Maguire - Honesty Party Tue Nov 15, 2011 01:22

i of course agree with the comments except to say i would rather see the ralings painted green instead of blue

by Mags-SBS Member - SBS Fri Nov 18, 2011 02:53

D, we agree with you and do not support the abuse of the seafront but the elected representatives who you voted in have not raised these concerns enough so perhaps next time you might think of voting for somebody who will stop these for-profit carnivals.

In relation to the comment after yours D-you might like to check out the activities of local solicitors in your town and also the activities (and members) of the new Bray Economic Think Tank to 'put Bray back on the map'. You will find an interesting bunch of people here.

by Liar Maguire - Honesty Party Sat Nov 19, 2011 01:44

Michael & i often jogged up and down the promenade discussing various types of ideas that would make sense to revitalise

the seafront in all its glory , Bray is quite an amazing place to reside and would be a lot better off if the entire population of Bray pulled together to rid the town of corrosion within certain elements of business .

by Melo Thu Jan 12, 2012 01:50

I welcome this discussion. I will try not to get stuck in the mud D!!!! I welcome your advice. Lots more to welcome!!

by Joe M - Putland Preservation Sun Mar 17, 2013 03:09

Did it go ahead?

by Vinnie the minx - Self preservation Society Sun Mar 17, 2013 05:13

Whilst i should hope it went ahead i am really not so sure , I purchased some dilapidated 'prop' last August 2012 finding the ultimate horror of not checking the title deeds , therefore we are up to our tonsils sending in Planning permission almost each month or so and have exhausted funds beyond belief what with the usual drivel from those in the know etc we are now not in a position to check our once beloved Bray , sad to say the Bus pass / free travel cannot arrive quickly enough as to allow our good selves the opportunity to see the Seaside area of Bray , a Town we Loved so well .....

by Joe - Law society Mon Mar 18, 2013 00:45

Retirement soon with these campaigners rocking the boat..stop