Enniskerry Forum has been contacted by a number of residents in relation to a planning application for 28 residential units (comprising apartments and detached houses) near the village. The application, which relates to a site facing Powerscourt Demesne on the Cookstown Road, was submitted in early August and anybody wishing to make a submission to Wicklow County Council in relation to the application must do so by 10^th September 2014. The Forum has engaged the services of an independent professional planning consultant to review the application and to provide an objective summary of the proposed development. This summary is available by clicking here. The application (reference number 141704), including drawings and maps, is available for inspection at http://193.178.30.218/WicklowePlan/FileRefDetails.aspx?file_number=141704&LASiteID=0.

While Enniskerry Forum makes a significant input to local zoning plans (in particular the Enniskerry Local Area Plan), it does not usually get involved in specific planning applications. However, the Forum has an overriding concern to protect and enhance the heritage, physical environment and amenities in Enniskerry for the benefit of the wider community. The Forum is not anti-development but does wish, insofar as possible, to ensure that developments, particularly sizable ones, don’t damage the village’s environment or infrastructure (e.g. by compromising local scenery, interfering with local walks, damaging village heritage, causing infrastructural problems such as flooding, etc.).

Apart from asserting these general concerns on behalf of the community, the Forum is unlikely to either support or object to individual applications such as the one currently seeking approval. However, the Forum does wish, where possible, to make the community aware of larger development proposals and to facilitate the sharing of information between interested parties so that individual community members can make their own assessments.

To that end, following a number of requests Enniskerry Forum has agreed to facilitate an Information Meeting in relation to the proposed development at 8.00PM this Thursday, 4th September, in the Powerscourt Arms. We are inviting the applicant to attend so that they, or a representative, have an opportunity to explain the proposed development in some more detail. An invitation has also been extended to local public representatives. For the avoidance of doubt, while individuals will be able to express their views both for and against at the meeting, in keeping with the spirit of our community it is intended that the public meeting will be friendly and non contentious. Anyone unable to attend but wishing to have their views represented at the meeting is welcome to email enniskerryforum@gmail.com and their email will be read out at the meeting.