Joe Behan - Independent Councillor - Wicklow County Council

Bray Councillors Outvoted on Bray Development Plan
25th January 2018

The recent meetings of Wicklow County Council on the Bray Development Plan ended with the majority of Bray Councillors being outvoted by a majority of Councillors from around county.

This majority vote was supported by only three Bray Councillors and resulted in a decision to allow building on the Dargle River flood plain despite the strong objections of local people in Little Bray.

Although pleas were made to the Councillors to defer a decision until we received advice from the Minister for the OPW and the Insurance Industry on the likelihood of getting insurance for buildings built on a flood plain, the majority won the day and that is democracy no doubt.

However, the fact that a majority of Bray Councillors, (Cllrs. O’Brien, O’Connor, Matthews, Thornhill and Behan) and supported by other Independent, Independent SF, SF and SD Councillors were against this proposal meant nothing. If the vote on the Development Plan had been held in Bray Municipal District Council, it would have been defeated. This is a very clear example of the undemocratic nature of local government reforms which deny the people of Bray the power to decide their own future.

There is now a heavy burden of responsibility on those Councillors who supported this proposal to allow building on the Dargle River flood plain to convince the people of Little Bray that they voted with their safety in mind.

They will also need to explain why they could not wait a couple of weeks to get the opinions of the Minister for the OPW and the Insurance Industry before voting this far reaching proposal through.

Cllr. Joe Behan
Independent