Dublin Bay infill controversy.

16 Oct, 2008

Local residents are up in arms over a proposal currently before the An Bord Pleanala (town planning authority) to infill 52 acres of Dublin Bay. Over 4,000 people have already voiced their objections to Dublin Port Company’s plan to reclaim land from the sea around Clontarf, with local politicians and even the environment minister joining the protest. The Dublin Bay Watch campaign group wants to see the disputed coastal region designated a Special Protection Area to serve as an aquatic reserve for wild birds.

Previous infill proposals from the company in 1999 and 2002 were refused planning permission but this time a new law, the Strategic Infrastructure Act, is being used to fast-track the application, which local residents claim overrides normal democratic planning procedures.

Objections to the proposal must be lodged with the An Bord Pleanala by 28 October.