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An impression of the planned sustainable transport bridge at Bray harbour.
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Mary Fogarty
August 25 2021 02:00 AM
TD John Brady and Councillors Grace McManus and Dermot ‘Daisy’ O’Brien have made a submission to An Bord Pleanála requesting a screening determination regarding the need for an Environmental Impact Assessment Report for the new Bray Sustainable Transport Bridge over the Dargle River.
A Part 8 application has been made for the bridge, and submissions can be made to Wicklow County Council by Monday, September 5.
A report on the process published by Wicklow County Council has found that an environmental report is not required. Submissions can be made to An Bord Pleanála regarding that.
The planned public transport link will connect the recently constructed Central Road with Seapoint Road, allowing for a transport link between Dublin Road and Bray DART Station, through the former Golf Club lands.
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‘This a substantial project that would have far reaching consequences for the community of Bray. Since going out to public consultation, many concerns have been raised around the risk of flooding, impact on biodiversity and wildlife and safety issues,’ said Cllr McManus.
‘While we welcome that Wicklow County Council have done several reports to examine these issues, in terms of public confidence and diligent environment protection in a project with such potential consequences as this, it is my belief that every avenue of protective measures must be exhausted. That is why we are supporting the call for a screening determination by An Bord Pleanála to see if further environmental reports are indeed necessary.’
Cllr Dermot ‘Daisy’ O’Brien said: ‘We have declared a Climate and Biodiversity crisis in County Wicklow. For me that means we should take our responsibilities seriously and make use of every available option to investigate the impact and implications of a project on this scale. There should be no space for acceptable collateral damage in a crisis and therefore an EIA represents an important component of the deliberations on this project.’
Deputy John Brady said that he fully supports the need for a new bridge over the Dargle River. ‘However we must ensure that all the necessary oversight and protective measures are carried out as part of the planning process. I believe it is essential that an Environmental Impact Assessment Report is carried out to evaluate any potential negative impact.’
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