€350m Wexford Harbour Scheme
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sfamato-
I think you misunderstood me. I’m arguing pretty much the same things you are in many respects- you’ll notice that I said “This isn’t to say that many locals wouldn’t want this scheme”. My original difference of opinion with The Denouncer was with his (?) belief that this scheme will attract tourists- I can’t see how this will happen at all.
As I said above, what appealed to me about Wexford town was its mix of local shops – a mix probably better than most towns in this country of a similar size – not the shops selling tourist tat, i.e. it is a living town rather than some tourist theme park town. If anything, this development will facilitate the growth of the tourist tat merchants as the local traditional traders are forced out of business due to competition from the behemoth. So I’d disagree with your assertion that your historic aspects “arent been touched by this development”. Well, maybe not yet, but give it time.
Equally, I never said it would turn tourists away. All I said was it wouldn’t be an attraction to them- a very different thing altogether. Though it might, in due course, have the effect of turning tourists away if the town centre suffers as so often happens in these cases, i.e. if the existing attractions are compromised.
Hope this clarifies.@The Denouncer wrote:
Well, I think it will bring in tourists..
When it’s built I’ll head down anyway
You should probably just go to Dundrum ‘Town Centre’ instead. It will save you alot in transport costs, and you could go there now if you wanted 😉
It’s interesting to see how business is done in Wexford.
An aricle from the Wexford Echo from January 2006……………..
AN application to transform the derelict site of the old Wexford Electronix factory into a hotel, shopping centre and apartments will shortly land on the desk of council planners.
Kilkenny-based developer Derry McPhilips says he is almost ready to submit the application for the development, which will take in the old Clover Meats site.
The biggest application of its kind ever submitted to the local borough council, it will include a hotel, apartments, promenade and shopping centre, and could create hundreds of jobs.
If the project gets the go-ahead, 360 former Wexford Electronix workers will collect €900 each, the balance of goodwill payments agreed by the developer when he bought the site from receivers.
KILKENNY-based developer Derry McPhilips is about to submit a detailed planning application for a massive €200 million plus development on the site of the old Wexford Electronix factory.
The development, which will take in the derelict Clover Meats site, will include an hotel, apartments, promenade and shopping centre, and will create hundreds of jobs.
It is the biggest application of its kind ever submitted to the council and comes after many months of pre-planning.
‘We are finalising the application and hope to submit it early in the new year,’ Mr. McPhilips told this newspaper.
Once the project gets the go-ahead it will also clear the way for the balance of €1,500 goodwill payments by the developer to 360 former Wexford Electronix workers, who lost their jobs when the factory went into receivership four years ago.
One local councillor described the project as ‘the icing on the cake for the town’.
After Mr. McPhilips bought the site from receivers appointed by Wexford Electronix, he agreed to make payments of €1,500 to each of the 360 workers employed there at the time of its closure, the deal sweetening a change of use to mixed development approved by the borough council.
While all the former workers received €600 advance payments, they are all still waiting for the go-ahead for the development before they will receive the second and final payments of €900 each.
‘I’m afraid we won’t get it until he gets his final planning permission… I’m guessing it will be the middle of next year at the earliest,’ said former Mayor, Cllr. Davy Hynes, himself a former worker at Electronix.
‘Why we would often be objecting to some of the stuff that’s going on around town — we would welcome this because it would be on a site that’s lying idle and derelict and would create a lot of jobs,’ he said.
During pre-planning meetings earlier this year, borough council officials requested more information from the developer, which is about to be submitted.
Once the voluminous application is submitted it will have to be validated by the council.
@Hercule wrote:
It’s interesting to see how business is done in Wexford.
1500 x 360 = 540,000 euros. Is it a goodwill payment? Or is is a ransom?
By the sounds of things it’s money well spent, if the former Mayor’s comments can be taken as representative. And interestingly, he’s a former worker in the factory, so he can hardly be said to be emotionally detached from proceedings. Makes me wonder, how many other councillors have/had a family connection to the factory?
@ctesiphon wrote:
1500 x 360 = 540,000 euros. Is it a goodwill payment? Or is is a ransom?
By the sounds of things it’s money well spent, if the former Mayor’s comments can be taken as representative. And interestingly, he’s a former worker in the factory, so he can hardly be said to be emotionally detached from proceedings. Makes me wonder, how many other councillors have/had a family connection to the factory?
Well, you got to admit, they have got some brass!! The former Mayor gives more information on this ‘deal’ on his webpage on the Labour party web site.
http://www.labour.ie/davyhynes/issues.html
On his webpage, Cllr Hynes writes……
‘We former employee have at least managed to have the developer of the factory site agree to pay a goodwill gesture of €1400 to every employee (with six months service) with the company, the day we went into receivership.
This deal has been secured after several months of behind the scenes talks which culminated in a meeting between Minister John Brown and the developer Mr. Dermot Mc Phillips, Ms. Breda Fowler, Mr. Peter Hall, myself and Mr. Billy Kyne, Regional Organiser of AMICUS –AEEU. It should also be said that Simon Kirwan of the AEEU and the members of the Harbour Board were very helpful in this matter. Great credit is due the Minister and principally the developer for his gesture and his comments ‘that he had great sympathy with the situation that the workers found themselves in, at the plant in Wexford’.
…much good for Wexford and its people promises to flow, with this major sea front development, with the prospect of providing jobs for up to 500 people. I warmly welcome and am please that the Council voted for rezoning of this historic industrial (but now derelict) site for this purpose’.From the wexford Echo….
While all the former workers received €600 advance payments, they are all still waiting for the go-ahead for the development before they will receive the second and final payments of €900 each.
‘I’m afraid we won’t get it until he gets his final planning permission… I’m guessing it will be the middle of next year at the earliest,’ said former Mayor, Cllr. Davy Hynes, himself a former worker at Electronix.
That’s how things get done in Wexford.
@Hercule wrote:
I warmly welcome and am please that the Council voted for rezoning of this historic industrial (but now derelict) site for this purpose’.
This bit raises an interesting aspect I hadn’t considered- what buildings are currently on the site?
The mention of ‘historic industial’ reminds me of another Wexford case- a 4-storey grain store on Paul Quay. DAHGI (as was) objected to its demolition in 1999/2000, even though it wasn’t a Protected Structure. ABP said its demolition didn’t constitute development. Technically correct, but only because the LA was too inept to know the value of its heritage until it was too late. And so it goes…Why do I get the feeling that this new scheme’s fate was decided long before any plans were submitted?
@ctesiphon wrote:
This bit raises an interesting aspect I hadn’t considered- what buildings are currently on the site?
The mention of ‘historic industial’ reminds me of another Wexford case- a 4-storey grain store on Paul Quay. DAHGI (as was) objected to its demolition in 1999/2000, even though it wasn’t a Protected Structure. ABP said its demolition didn’t constitute development. Technically correct, but only because the LA was too inept to know the value of its heritage until it was too late. And so it goes…Why do I get the feeling that this new scheme’s fate was decided long before any plans were submitted?
What currently is there right now is a demolished building (burned down) formally known as Wexford Electronics, locally known as Smiths. This building is situated by the river, infront of this building is the old Cash and Carry, big red and orange building, looks like a warehouse.
Hi, first post of another Wexford resident. Very interesting discussion about this project.
I believe access to the site will be over the railway via the old cash and carry building site, which in turn is to be transormed into an apartment building. This is to avoid the inevitable lengthy negotiations with IE about crossing the railway, as happened with the Paul Quay car park opposite the Talbot Hotel.
In that case the car park was empty for some years while IE demanded a multi-million Euro insurance cover in case of accidents. In the event, the deal is that the car park can only be all-day parking, must close by 6pm and there has to be constant supervision at the gates, even though only about four trains pass by during its opening hours.
As regards the development itself, I feel it is too big and will mean a loss of the view down to Rosslare Strand from the quayfront. Otherwise, I’m all in favour of developing what has been described as wasteland.
@Hack wrote:
Hi, first post of another Wexford resident. Very interesting discussion about this project.
I believe access to the site will be over the railway via the old cash and carry building site, which in turn is to be transormed into an apartment building. This is to avoid the inevitable lengthy negotiations with IE about crossing the railway, as happened with the Paul Quay car park opposite the Talbot Hotel.
In that case the car park was empty for some years while IE demanded a multi-million Euro insurance cover in case of accidents. In the event, the deal is that the car park can only be all-day parking, must close by 6pm and there has to be constant supervision at the gates, even though only about four trains pass by during its opening hours.
As regards the development itself, I feel it is too big and will mean a loss of the view down to Rosslare Strand from the quayfront. Otherwise, I’m all in favour of developing what has been described as wasteland.
I didnt even think you could see the Strand from the Quay, I knew you could sort of make out Rosslare Europort/Harbour. Its not as impressive looking as the Curracloe view from the quay tho.
I didnt really want to creat a new thread for this, but i thought some people might be interested.
Seven-screen cinema plan for Drinagh
A Wexford developer has applied to the County Council for planning permission to build a new 7-screen cinema on the Rosslare Road at Drinagh.
The cinema, costing six and a half million Euro, will have seating capacity for 1,346 people plus a large entrance foyer and shop with free car parking on site.
The project is being developed by Tom Donnelly of Omniplex Holdings Ltd. and will replace the existing 3-screen cinema at Redmond Road which is run by Ward Anderson
Now this sounds fantastic! The current cinema is a state!
Now, I heard that Trinity Wharf was to have a cinema too, which is a good thing because where this new cinema is going, its abit out from town and apparently the exsisting cinema is going to close. So you cant just walk into town anymore and go and catch a flick. So if i heard right and TW does include a cinema, it would just be another plus for the development.
@sfamato wrote:
I didnt really want to creat a new thread for this, but i thought some people might be interested.
Now this sounds fantastic! The current cinema is a state!
Now, I heard that Trinity Wharf was to have a cinema too, which is a good thing because where this new cinema is going, its abit out from town and apparently the exsisting cinema is going to close. So you cant just walk into town anymore and go and catch a flick. So if i heard right and TW does include a cinema, it would just be another plus for the development.
There are no pluses for this enormous Wexford Harbour Trinity Wharf development and you have just pointed out yet another minus.
If the proposed 7 screen cinema gets the go ahead in Drinagh then the last thing Wexford needs is yet another new cinema in the proposed Trinity Wharf development. It would not be sustainable.
There has been a huge world wide slump in cinema ticket sales in the last two yearts. It would now appear, given the huge growth in DVDs and Home Cinema sales, that people now prefer to watch movies at home.
@Hercule wrote:
There are no pluses for this enormous Wexford Harbour Trinity Wharf development and you have just pointed out yet another minus.
If the proposed 7 screen cinema gets the go ahead in Drinagh then the last thing Wexford needs is yet another new cinema in the proposed Trinity Wharf development. It would not be sustainable.
There has been a huge world wide slump in cinema ticket sales in the last two yearts. It would now appear, given the huge growth in DVDs and Home Cinema sales, that people now prefer to watch movies at home.
I only heard there was one planned for the development, but seeing as theres an even bigger one being built, I dont think that it will go ahead.
Out of interest, what do you think should go on the development? A football pitch?
Possibly leaving the foreshore intact
@sfamato wrote:
I only heard there was one planned for the development, but seeing as theres an even bigger one being built, I dont think that it will go ahead.
Out of interest, what do you think should go on the development? A football pitch?
Well, you must ask the question…….what does Wexford town currently lack and what would be a suitable development to take place on the site.
A public park incorporatiing youth recreational and sporting facilities would benefit the town.
Shelve the application and get WUDC to appoint someone like Buchanan & Partners or WS Atkins to draw up a masterplan along the lines of an SDZ
@Hercule wrote:
Well, you must ask the question…….what does Wexford town currently lack and what would be a suitable development to take place on the site.
A public park incorporatiing youth recreational and sporting facilities would benefit the town.
Like Redmond Park?
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