Dun Laoghaire Harbour Masterplan
Submission to Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company
from
Save Our Seafront
saveourseafront@gmail.com
Tel: 086 3805793
Dun Laoghaire Harbour is at a crossroads. Commercial usage, which funds 70% of the harbour’s income, may not be available to the same extent in the future. The ferry operator Stena Line has signed a two year contract for one sailing a day. This will reduce harbour income from the current €7 million to about €2 million a year.
In addition ongoing maintenance of the infrastructure has created financial problems for the Harbour Company.
It is clear that the harbour cannot survive as a commercial entity unless changes are made.
The Harbour Company has proposed a €250 million redevelopment plan to include:
1) A Diaspora Museum on the Carlisle pier
2) A berthing dock for second generation Cruise Liners
3) Marine service companies to support sailing and boating activities
4) Food and drink outlets within the harbour area
5) Three hundred apartments within the harbour area.
6) Increased waterfront access
7) Leisure and culture activities
8) Retail outlets within the Harbour area.
Our Response
There are aspects of the report to be welcomed; the Diaspora Museum, leisure and cultural activities, marine services, sporting events, and not least the possibility of the 1500 jobs that the plan envisages as a result of the redevelopment. We will support any of the positive elements in this plan. But we seriously question and in some cases out rightly oppose a number of elements, which we outline as follows:
1) The plan needs to be placed in the context of the McCarthy report, the EU/IMF deal and the government’s plan to review all 10 state owned harbours and, in our opinion, the absolutely unacceptable recommendation in the McCarthy report that “privatisation of some or all of the ports should be considered.”
2) The primary question is, whether we develop the harbour to serve the needs of the people of both the country and of Dun Laoghaire and maintain it as a fully public entity, or allow inappropriate commercial development that will change the nature of the harbour forever.
3) This is a major development that will affect the future of the harbour for the next hundred years. The proposal for a developer led plan repeats all the mistakes of the Celtic Tiger era. The proposal to finance the redevelopment through a public private partnership deal is not the way forward. The example of the collapsed Greystones Harbour development along these lines provides a stark warning of the dangers inherent in these proposals.
4) The 300 private apartments that are proposed in order to pay for the public element of the plan are not only, not realistic in the current economic climate but they are also totally inappropriate to the redevelopment of the harbour as a public amenity. The inclusion of any private developments in the harbour area will change forever the nature of the harbour. We are opposed to any apartment building within the confines of the harbour area.
5) We believe there is a major contradiction in espousing a master plan for the future development of the harbour as a public amenity while at the same time reducing numbers of Harbour police and maintenance workers. This impacts adversely on the health and safety and upkeep of the harbour for all users.
6) Any plan for the harbour must be integrated with proposals for the more general redevelopment and revitalisation of Dun Laoghaire town as a whole, reports such as the Dun Laoghaire Town Retail Report and the submissions of local residents, interest groups and town traders. This would allow for a more efficient development that meets the needs of the town as well as the harbour users.
7) The retail and shopping component might take business from the town centre adding to the difficulties that traders already endure. While some waterside outlets such as café/restaurant or specific maritime/cultural/heritage related units might be appropriate the public do not want or need a new shopping centre or wholesale commercialisation of the harbour.
8) The proposal to provide berthing for very large cruise liners that would attract 100,000 visitors a year seems to be a highly ambitious target. In 2010 the total number of cruise liners visiting Ireland was 202, carrying 204,000 passengers. Is it realistic to believe that these targets can be met? We have not been given any overall cost of the harbour dredging and berthing facilities that would be required. Neither do we know the impact of such a large-scale development on the ecology of the harbour. Dublin Port is currently putting forward proposals for two berths for cruise liners near the East link bridge. The Minister for Tourism should decide the best location rather than duplicating facilities at enormous expense. One of the proposals that we do welcome in the plan is to increase sailing and sporting usage in the harbour. However, the cruise ship facilities could hamper this development.
Our Proposals
1) We need an integrated plan for the Harbour and the Town. The Harbour Board and the Dun Laoghaire Council need to put forward an integrated plan that takes account of the national harbour and maritime needs, civic use, leisure and commercial activities.
2) The Harbour Company should seek to designate Dun Laoghaire Harbour as a National Monument and seek national funding to maintain and develop it.
3) A scaled down plan for the harbour that is not dependent on developer led finance.
4) Any plan for the harbour needs to be preceded by robust environmental impact assessments that take into account rising sea levels and impact on marine ecology and bio diversity.
5) An immediate attempt should be made to find a replacement ferry operator that will utilise the existing facilities. This would provide a revenue stream for ongoing harbour maintenance.
6) The development of the Carlisle Pier for publicly run cultural and tourism projects, including the Diaspora Museum and genealogy centre.
7) Other commercial activities: Dun Laoghaire is one of the great natural harbours in the world and an ideal location for water based sports events. The Tall Ships event in Waterford and the Volvo Ocean Race in Galway each generated almost €60 million for the local economy. A submission by the combined Dun Laoghaire sailing clubs outlined the benefits of such events and the sport of sailing to the local economy.
8) We support the suggestion to create a waterfront forum with the yacht clubs, commercial users, leisure and sporting groups, local residents and public interest groups to promote marine leisure and tourism activities. This should also include representatives of the Town business group
9) Ensure provision of facilities for existing rowing clubs and small boat users possibly using the French model of publicly owned facilities.
10)We support the utilisation of an existing building to create a ‘marine cluster’ for engine repair, sail making, small boat repair, riggers, and marine engineering workshops. This has the potential to sustain the existing marine jobs and create up to 200 jobs in the local economy.
11)The development of a boat yard and landing stage that would include berthing facilities for boats and yachts.
12)The promotion of Boat Shows that will attract business to the harbour and the town. A National Maritime Festival would attract visitors from all over the country and from abroad.
13)Proposals for the commercial and sporting fishing sector should be included in the development.
Conclusion
We need a plan and a vision that will shape the harbour for the 21st century but which protects and retains the fundamental and unique character and heritage of Dun Laoghaire Harbour as a public amenity and working harbour for all harbour users.
Unfortunately, the Harbour Board proposals fail in this regard. There are some positive aspects to the proposals that should be retained. But the core philosophy behind the development repeats the mistakes of the past. They are grandiose rather than practical. They are financially questionable, and depend on a developer led model that has failed in the past. They include private developments within the harbour area which is the first step in the privatisation of the seafront.
We call for a review of the plans. We are for a development that puts people, leisure, heritage, culture, sailing and sporting communities and sustainable economic development at the centre of the plan.
We support the setting up of a forum to include all local and national interests that will develop a plan to regenerate the harbour as a public amenity in a realistic and affordable way.
Submission to Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company
from
Save Our Seafront
saveourseafront@gmail.com
Tel: 086 3805793
Dun Laoghaire Harbour is at a crossroads. Commercial usage, which funds 70% of the harbour’s income, may not be available to the same extent in the future. The ferry operator Stena Line has signed a two year contract for one sailing a day. This will reduce harbour income from the current €7 million to about €2 million a year.
In addition ongoing maintenance of the infrastructure has created financial problems for the Harbour Company.
It is clear that the harbour cannot survive as a commercial entity unless changes are made.
The Harbour Company has proposed a €250 million redevelopment plan to include:
1) A Diaspora Museum on the Carlisle pier
2) A berthing dock for second generation Cruise Liners
3) Marine service companies to support sailing and boating activities
4) Food and drink outlets within the harbour area
5) Three hundred apartments within the harbour area.
6) Increased waterfront access
7) Leisure and culture activities
8) Retail outlets within the Harbour area.
Our Response
There are aspects of the report to be welcomed; the Diaspora Museum, leisure and cultural activities, marine services, sporting events, and not least the possibility of the 1500 jobs that the plan envisages as a result of the redevelopment. We will support any of the positive elements in this plan. But we seriously question and in some cases out rightly oppose a number of elements, which we outline as follows:
1) The plan needs to be placed in the context of the McCarthy report, the EU/IMF deal and the government’s plan to review all 10 state owned harbours and, in our opinion, the absolutely unacceptable recommendation in the McCarthy report that “privatisation of some or all of the ports should be considered.”
2) The primary question is, whether we develop the harbour to serve the needs of the people of both the country and of Dun Laoghaire and maintain it as a fully public entity, or allow inappropriate commercial development that will change the nature of the harbour forever.
3) This is a major development that will affect the future of the harbour for the next hundred years. The proposal for a developer led plan repeats all the mistakes of the Celtic Tiger era. The proposal to finance the redevelopment through a public private partnership deal is not the way forward. The example of the collapsed Greystones Harbour development along these lines provides a stark warning of the dangers inherent in these proposals.
4) The 300 private apartments that are proposed in order to pay for the public element of the plan are not only, not realistic in the current economic climate but they are also totally inappropriate to the redevelopment of the harbour as a public amenity. The inclusion of any private developments in the harbour area will change forever the nature of the harbour. We are opposed to any apartment building within the confines of the harbour area.
5) We believe there is a major contradiction in espousing a master plan for the future development of the harbour as a public amenity while at the same time reducing numbers of Harbour police and maintenance workers. This impacts adversely on the health and safety and upkeep of the harbour for all users.
6) Any plan for the harbour must be integrated with proposals for the more general redevelopment and revitalisation of Dun Laoghaire town as a whole, reports such as the Dun Laoghaire Town Retail Report and the submissions of local residents, interest groups and town traders. This would allow for a more efficient development that meets the needs of the town as well as the harbour users.
7) The retail and shopping component might take business from the town centre adding to the difficulties that traders already endure. While some waterside outlets such as café/restaurant or specific maritime/cultural/heritage related units might be appropriate the public do not want or need a new shopping centre or wholesale commercialisation of the harbour.
8) The proposal to provide berthing for very large cruise liners that would attract 100,000 visitors a year seems to be a highly ambitious target. In 2010 the total number of cruise liners visiting Ireland was 202, carrying 204,000 passengers. Is it realistic to believe that these targets can be met? We have not been given any overall cost of the harbour dredging and berthing facilities that would be required. Neither do we know the impact of such a large-scale development on the ecology of the harbour. Dublin Port is currently putting forward proposals for two berths for cruise liners near the East link bridge. The Minister for Tourism should decide the best location rather than duplicating facilities at enormous expense. One of the proposals that we do welcome in the plan is to increase sailing and sporting usage in the harbour. However, the cruise ship facilities could hamper this development.
Our Proposals
1) We need an integrated plan for the Harbour and the Town. The Harbour Board and the Dun Laoghaire Council need to put forward an integrated plan that takes account of the national harbour and maritime needs, civic use, leisure and commercial activities.
2) The Harbour Company should seek to designate Dun Laoghaire Harbour as a National Monument and seek national funding to maintain and develop it.
3) A scaled down plan for the harbour that is not dependent on developer led finance.
4) Any plan for the harbour needs to be preceded by robust environmental impact assessments that take into account rising sea levels and impact on marine ecology and bio diversity.
5) An immediate attempt should be made to find a replacement ferry operator that will utilise the existing facilities. This would provide a revenue stream for ongoing harbour maintenance.
6) The development of the Carlisle Pier for publicly run cultural and tourism projects, including the Diaspora Museum and genealogy centre.
7) Other commercial activities: Dun Laoghaire is one of the great natural harbours in the world and an ideal location for water based sports events. The Tall Ships event in Waterford and the Volvo Ocean Race in Galway each generated almost €60 million for the local economy. A submission by the combined Dun Laoghaire sailing clubs outlined the benefits of such events and the sport of sailing to the local economy.
8) We support the suggestion to create a waterfront forum with the yacht clubs, commercial users, leisure and sporting groups, local residents and public interest groups to promote marine leisure and tourism activities. This should also include representatives of the Town business group
9) Ensure provision of facilities for existing rowing clubs and small boat users possibly using the French model of publicly owned facilities.
10)We support the utilisation of an existing building to create a ‘marine cluster’ for engine repair, sail making, small boat repair, riggers, and marine engineering workshops. This has the potential to sustain the existing marine jobs and create up to 200 jobs in the local economy.
11)The development of a boat yard and landing stage that would include berthing facilities for boats and yachts.
12)The promotion of Boat Shows that will attract business to the harbour and the town. A National Maritime Festival would attract visitors from all over the country and from abroad.
13)Proposals for the commercial and sporting fishing sector should be included in the development.
Conclusion
We need a plan and a vision that will shape the harbour for the 21st century but which protects and retains the fundamental and unique character and heritage of Dun Laoghaire Harbour as a public amenity and working harbour for all harbour users.
Unfortunately, the Harbour Board proposals fail in this regard. There are some positive aspects to the proposals that should be retained. But the core philosophy behind the development repeats the mistakes of the past. They are grandiose rather than practical. They are financially questionable, and depend on a developer led model that has failed in the past. They include private developments within the harbour area which is the first step in the privatisation of the seafront.
We call for a review of the plans. We are for a development that puts people, leisure, heritage, culture, sailing and sporting communities and sustainable economic development at the centre of the plan.
We support the setting up of a forum to include all local and national interests that will develop a plan to regenerate the harbour as a public amenity in a realistic and affordable way.
