No 64, Treetops, Glen O' the Downs, Co Wicklow. A quiet, secluded residence with views of woodland and its own stream, but fast developing. Pro-active environmentalists now defiantly occupy this residence, a tree house, in protest at the £20 million scheme to widen the N11.
Access to the sheet-covered shelter, built 60 feet up in an ageing beech tree, is via a rope-ladder and sturdy branches.
Once you have squeezed through the narrow gap in the wooden floor, the small space inside is fully carpeted.
The number 64 appears in white paint on the trunk of the tree, marking it out for removal, according to the environmentalists.
A local Green Party member, Mr Alex Perkins, said he was satisfied with the concessions made by Wicklow County Council in relation to the scheme. The council in turn said it had taken on board the objections of local people and that building will commence before the new year.
In a re-enactment of the recent tree and tunnel protests by "Swampy" and other environmentalists over road-building in Oxfordshire and a second runway at Manchester Airport, three treehuts have appeared in the scenic Glen O' the Downs. Seven tents are also encamped beside a stream, while the tree-hut building gets under way.
Protesters from England, Scotland and Canada are uniting with local people in a bid to halt the destruction of more than 2,000 mature oak, ash and beech trees. They have vowed to stay until the woodland areas are saved and many more campaigners will be heading down the N11. It could be December before the diggers move in.
The widening of the two-lane stretch of the N11 to dual-carriageway from Kilmacanogue to the south end of Glen O' the Downs will cut into the woods on one side, protesters complain. On the other, trees will be cut down and the timber sold.
The EU-financed scheme will impact on local wildlife, which includes sika deer, red squirrels and a variety of birds, which exist in the designated nature reserve, said one of the protesters.
Another protester, Mr Clinton Sanderson, from Winnipeg, Canada, said it was hoped that up to 200 people would eventually be encamped in tree huts.
"When it comes to the council moving people, we will have pretty strong support. We will be getting English people over so they will be able to show us a lot," he said.
Mr Perkins, who lives near the glen, campaigned tirelessly to have the road-building scheme modified.
His efforts resulted in a number of improvements, including a slimming of the road width from 33 metres to 25 metres and the moving of the road in a western direction, avoiding interference with the river, he said.
The northbound lanes of the road will also have a higher gradient, preventing massive excavation into the southern side.
Following objections from local people, the council also agreed to build a pedestrian overbridge at the north end of Kilmacanogue as well as two interchanges.
Of the treetop protesters, Mr Perkins said: "If they are there to stop the road, then they are wasting their time, but if they are there to highlight planning problems in the area, then I welcome them."
He added: "As far as the road is concerned, I am quite happy with the status quo."
A statement issued by the Green Party's transport spokesman, Mr Ciaran Cuffe, fully supported the actions being taken in Glen o' the Downs.
"We support non-violent direct action which draws attention to environmental problems. This action highlights the need for better planning in Wicklow. This means investment in public transport prior to the new road construction."
Mr Brian Doyle, the Wicklow county secretary, said the concerns of local people and groups had been taken on board and that the scheme was "a minimalist one."
The council planned to begin work on the road-widening before the end of the year and was presently in discussion with local landowners about the relocation of facilities, arising from the first stage of compulsory purchase orders.
Mr Doyle said he believed the protesters who had already built tree houses were located on land unaffected by the road-widening.
The council was not planning to proceed with the construction if there was a situation to be dealt with through discussion, but the Garda would be contacted if this approach failed and the protesters, numbering about 18 at the moment, refused to move.