Madam, - Your article by Frank McDonald (April 19th) re a major development proposed for Bray did not get it quite right.
Bray Town Council did have reservations about the slightly increased flood risk posed by the Bray Golf Course site development when assessing the original application.
Because of this the developer sought an extension of time for the planning application and also undertook to underwrite the costs of the design of a flood defence scheme for the entire town, with the design team reporting to a steering committee composed of representatives of Bray Town Council and the OPW.
By the time the planning decision was due, our consultants had worked up six options for the flood defence scheme, so the planning authority knew there was an executable scheme to defend all of the flood-affected properties in Bray.
It was, inter alia, on that basis that permission was granted, with a condition that no works could commence on the development until the flood scheme was constructed and in place.
Given requirements for public consultation and final design, the flood defence scheme was not available to An Bord Pleanála before the latest date for submitting appeal documentation.
Thus the bord was not in possession of this information and made its decision accordingly. Bray Town Council will make a separate application to An Bord Pleanála for the flood defence scheme in the coming weeks.
- Yours, etc,
DES O'BRIEN, Town Manager, Civic Offices, Bray, Co Wicklow.