The refusal was primarily because Greystones is over the population target for 2028 of 21,727. The April Census last year show the population is 22,009.  Since then at least 500 houses have been occupied and 500 are being built which will give a population of 24,500 next year, 10% over the target for 4 years ahead of that.

Cairn also applied for 586 houses and apartments in Blacklion. This section being part of the larger site but no decision has been made by Bord Pleanala in the 18 months since application.

 ‘I support the refusal as the infrastructure needs to catch up with this growth of 36%. Greystones has the lowest amount of people employed locally of any town in Wicklow so everyone commutes. However local jobs have not appeared, neither have the planned improvements in DART, the N11 nor Bus Connects. Dublin City expanded by only 6%. Growth should be in the centre ’.