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Land Dispute
Land at Greystones Rugby Football Club

Land at Greystones Rugby Football Club – update as at 29th January 2010.

 Members and friends of Greystones RFC will be aware that Wicklow County Council, without any consultation, recently entered upon land at the Rugby Club and fenced off a triangular area of approximately 1.6 acres. More recently signage has appeared offering this land for sale by tender as a commercial opportunity. Greystones RFC has used this land for many years for sport purposes, fenced it on the road side and maintained it in excellent condition at considerable expense.

Greystones RFC opposes the attempt by Wicklow County Council to sell this land and is seeking its immediate and permanent restoration for sports usage and we have placed our own signage to this effect on our road side fencing. There has been considerable media coverage of the dispute in recent weeks. Greystones RFC is proud of its record over the last 73 years in providing excellent sports facilities to the wider community of not just Greystones but also Bray, Delgany, Enniskerry and Kilcoole. We continue to improve our facilities for the benefit of our Community, recently installing flood lights which allow matches to be played at night. This fencing off of the 1.6 acres and its proposed sale impacts adversely on our ability to provide facilities to our 500+ youth members and at a time when sports clubs are having to take on a more important role than ever due to the recessionary times. At the same time the number of young families in the Greystones area has grown significantly and the usage of our facilities will continue to increase. 

We make these facilities available not just for rugby but to other sports and currently Greystones AFC Soccer Club train at the Club twice a week. Kilcoole GAA Club also avail of our facilities for training purposes. We are particularly proud of our long standing and excellent relationship with our neighbours in Eire Og GAA (who use our facilities on occasions during the summer months) and are most grateful for their support and the support of other sports clubs in the area. Greystones RFC exists solely to promote the playing of rugby in the Community from age 7 and up. For close to 75 years we have been an integral part of our Community. The sale of this land will be a retrograde step and this land must be retained for use as part of the Rugby Club and not sold for development.

The sale of any land by the Council requires a positive vote by the majority of the 24 elected members of Wicklow County Council. It cannot otherwise be sold.  In December 2009 officers of the Club led by the Chairman, Sonny Kenny, met with the 4 elected members of Wicklow County Council for the Greystones area: Mr. Tom Fortune MCC; Mr Simon Harris MCC; Mr. George Jones MCC and Mr. Derek Mitchell seeking their support to have the land restored for sports usage. This dialogue was constructive and is ongoing. Greystones RFC acknowledges the considerable support given in earlier years by the then local Councillors and in particular Mr George Jones MCC in relation to the expansion of current facilities, from 2 to 4 pitches, the disposal of our 2 pitches at Farrankelly as well as improvements to the Clubhouse, and are seeking similar support now from the current local Councillors to protect sports land. Given the Club’s catchment area we will, in due course, be seeking support also from all the other elected members of Wicklow County Council and in particular from the 7 Bray area members. A number of the Councillors outside the Greystones area have a long standing connection with Greystones RFC and/or are heavily involved in other sports clubs.

We are pleased to report to our members that:

Ø  Mr. Simon Harris MCC has called on Wicklow County Council to halt the sale process. He has confirmed he will vote against any motion to sell the land for commercial development and is seeking the restoration of the land to Greystones RFC  (press release attached).

Ø  Mr. Tom Fortune MCC and in-coming Chairman of Wicklow County Council will be proposing a motion to Greystones Town Council that they call on Wicklow County Council to restore the land to Greystones RFC, will similarly oppose a sale and is seeking its restoration to the Club (press release attached).

Ø  Mr. Dick Roche TD (Minister for Europe) is also supporting the Club’s position (press release link) . The Club wishes to acknowledge the Minister’s assistance and support in securing Lotto and other funding to assist with various improvements over the years.

 Your Club is most appreciative of all the support received to date from the above and from the wider Greystones Community. We acknowledge with many thanks the time and effort of all concerned. This matter, however, will not be resolved satisfactorily without the support of all our members and friends. We ask that each and every one of you directly seeks support for your Club’s position from your local Councillor in any part of Wicklow and in particular from the 4 Greystones area County Councillors and their email addresses are below. We encourage you to seek the support of your friends and neighbours in the area and ask that make similar representations of behalf of your Club.

 This issue may take a considerable period to be resolved but Greystones RFC is determined to ensure that this land will eventually be restored for sports usage for the benefit of our Community in particular its youth membership and not be sold for development. We will update this summary following our consideration of any significant developments.

 In the meantime please make sure your voice is heard by CONTACTING YOUR LOCAL COUNCILLOR and ask that they use their power and vote, in relation to this land, to “SUPPORT NON PROFIT MAKING COMMUNITY BASED LOCAL SPORTS AND NOT COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT”.

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Proposal To Sell Rugby Club Grounds
Labour Councillor Tom Fortune has hit out at proposals by Wicklow County Council to sell a plot of land at Greystones Rugby Club which is used by the club for training purposes. “Wicklow County Council should be attempting to provide facilities for community clubs” said Councillor Fortune, “not depriving the clubs of their facilities.
Greystones Rugby Club has been at the heart of the Greystones community for over 70 years” Fortune continued. “It has produced 9 international players. It has a huge youth section of over 700 juniors. Every home game affords the community an opportunity to get together and cheer on their home team. Not many towns the size of Greystones have a senior rugby club. Wicklow County Council should be proud of that fact and be making every effort to support the club instead of trying to thwart it.”

Councillor Fortune went on to criticise the absence of any commercial necessity behind the proposal. “There is a substantial amount of land zoned for commercial development in Charlesland which has yet to be developed” he pointed “out in addition the IDA has a large tract of commercially zoned land. Both of these landbanks are within a short distance of the rugby club lands so there is absolutely no commercial logic behind this proposal”

 Cllr Fortune says that he will do everything is his power to make sure that the sale of this land will not happen.  “I will ask Greystones Town Council to pass a resolution calling for the proposal to be dropped. In addition I will seek the support of all other elected members of Wicklow County Council to prevent the Council officials from proceeding with this transaction.” he concluded.
 
Simon Harris Response to Land Dispute

Harris to County Manager: I will oppose your efforts to sell land at Greystones Rugby Club with all my energy

Poll-topping Councillor steps up his campaign against efforts to sell land in use by Greystones Rugby Club

Fine Gael Councillor Simon Harris has written to the County Manager, Eddie Sheehy and informed him that he will oppose any effort by Wicklow County Council to sell land in use by Greystones Rugby Club and that he will vote against any attempt to sell this land at County Council Meetings. 

Speaking about the issue, Councillor Harris said, “I informed Greystones Rugby Club and residents in Burnaby Mill a number of months ago that I would vigorously oppose any effort by management in Wicklow County Council to sell land at Greystones Rugby Club. Greystones Rugby Club is providing a very valuable community facility and doing an excellent job in this regard  - the Council should be doing all it can to assist and support the club rather than trying to hinder its efforts.

“The Council cannot sell this land without passing a Disposal Notice at Wicklow County Council. This would require a majority of County Councillors voting in favour of the sale. I have written to the County Manager and I have categorically stated that I will not support any effort to sell this land and furthermore, I will actively and tirelessly campaign against any effort to proceed with the sale,” continued Councillor Harris.

“In my correspondence to the County Manager I have also asked what I believe to be a number of pertinent questions including:

1.      When was a decision made by management of Wicklow County Council to attempt to sell this land and what was the rationale behind it?

2.      Why were County Councillors for this Electoral Area not consulted on this issue considering you cannot sell the land without the approval of the Elected Members of Wicklow County Council?

3.      Has the County Council discussed this issue with Greystones Rugby Club and are you aware of the excellent community facility provided by this club? Surely, the Council should be supporting this club rather than attempting to hinder its work in the community.

4.      From an economic point of view, why would the Council attempt to sell land when the current market for land and development is so poor?

And I also outlined my concern at the current zoning of the site – an issue which I intend to return to at future Council meetings,” stated Councillor Harris.

“Let the word go out loudly and clearly – the people of Greystones – and I, as their representative on Wicklow County Council – will not stand idly by and allow this land be sold. The Council should remove the “For Sale” sign from the land and enter into discussions with the County Councillors for the area, the Rugby Club and the residents of housing estates nearby including Burnaby Mill, Burnaby Park and Burnaby Lawns,” concluded Councillor Harris.
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Cllr Simon Harris
Wicklow County Councillor & Greystones Town Councillor
www.simonharris.ie
Mobile: 086-0759984
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