By Dan Walsh in Gorey
About 30 residents of Harbour Court estate at Courtown Harbour gathered outside the Civic Offices in Gorey today where the monthly meeting of Gorey Kilmuckridge Municipal District Council was taking place. Many were bearing placards that read ‘No To The Land Swap’.
Residents of the 27-house estate said that all agree that a new hotel is essential for the survival of Courtown, but not at its proposed location in the public car park!
“The proposed hotel would be 50 feet away from our houses, virtually building a 100 feet wall parallel to our homes,” said spokesperson for the residents, David Millard, who added their disappointment; “We have had no communication from Wexford County Council, the developer or local public representatives since 2019. We have been ignored!”
They say that nobody has communicated with the residents most impacted by the proposed development or discussed their legitimate concerns and opinions. “We strongly suspect that right now, we are merely perceived as no more than a possible future hindrance and irritant and have no doubt whatsoever, that this proposed hotel is going to have a profound, immediate and long term devastating impact on all of the residents of Harbour Court and all of our immediate neighbours around and above us up to the top of the hill.”
They talk about a double volume top floor designed where large groups of people/guests will party the night away and then will board buses (10 bus parking bays provided plus nearly 300 car parking bays under the hotel) and then depart the village. “We repeat, this will be a nightmare for all local residents. If this succeeds, our lives as we now experience it, will change permanently to a daily grinding noisy misery, our nights and days will be guaranteed misery.”
The concerned residents said; “We welcome the upgrading plans for the village and beach development. We welcome the removing of the derelict hotel in the village and the proposed marina, the upgrading of the harbour side. We welcome a hotel, but not in the location being sought and on the massive disproportionate scale envisaged.
“We will, when required, produce a detailed and precise objection, once we are provided with more accurate plan details, dimensions, business plan and impact study by the developers.
“Finally, we strongly oppose the proposed land swap between a portion of the private land (Bay View site) and publicly owned land (the Car Park). Is this good value for the public purse”, they ask?
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