Newbridge, Developers, and Broken Promises

kildare | miscellaneous | opinion/analysis

Wednesday September 26, 2007 23:15

by Gosimeon - Newbridge Concerned Residents

White Water Shopping Centre is at the centre of an ongoing drama in Newbridge, County Kildare. The developer's, Ballymore Properties, have reneged on their promise to build a 6-screen cinema as part of the massive White Water Shopping Centre. Instead they have tried for over a year to change the cinema space to retail space. They have tried every trick in the book to do so. Here's an outline.

Banners at a protest

April 2006; a great day for Newbridge, County Kildare. Ballymore Propoerties are have just opened their fine new shopping centre in the centre of the town. The huge development took years to complete; causing consistent traffic mayhem and the upheaval of a local park in the process. The development was sold as a "unique mix of retail, living and leisure". The retail component was to comprise of the many stores to be located in the centre. The living element; apartments above the retail units. The "first class" cinema was to be the jewel in the crown.

But hold on. It opened but there was no cinema.

Why?

Well it all goes back to just after the Planning Application for the centre was accepted in 2002. Less than three months after the proposal was accepted, the White Water developers signalled their intent by applying for a change of use from cinema space to office/retail space. The County Council agreed with local PD politician Jane Mullin's group Newbridge Community Development as well as many other objectors, and it rejected the White Waters proposal. Simply; the centre HAD TO have a leisure and evening use as dictated by local sustainable development laws. The White Water was chasing to mullah. The Council wasn't going to stop them making more dosh. Off the went to An Board Pleaneala (ABP). ABP said no, for said reasons.

All then went quiet on the cinema front. It seemed Newbridge had won and this developer wasn't going to be allowed to throw local planning legislation into the bin to make a few more quick bucks.

Then, in 2006, just before the centre opened, another application was sent to Kildare County Council. This application tried to turn the cinema space to, you guessed it, more retail. They also claimed they were going to build a cinema (and, yes, several retail units) on another site, one that is adjoined to an bust road in an industrial area. They didn't even own the site they proposed they would build the cinema on, and most commentators agree they have no intention of ever purchasing or building anything on.

So here they are again. Trying to contravene the local planning legislation and take away the community benefit of this huge development for the sake of adding some more onto their hefty profits.

The application went to further information twice with the local authority twice, and took over a year to process! The White Water were asked over and over to explain why they need to move the cinema. The new site wasn't suitable, the Council claimed. The centre needs night time use, leisure use. The proposals contravene the Local Area Plan; the planning Bible for Newbridge. Eventually KCC refused permission.

White Water failed to answer any of these queries. They have consistently lied in their assertions. Local group "Newbridge Concerned Residents" has lead to opposition to the plans to remove the cinema. One cinema operator Patrick O'Sullivan, head of Storm Cinemas, went as far as saying that the cinema as originally proposed wasn't just viable, but he would love to run it. International Cinema expert Ron Inglis joined in by rubbishing the plans of Ballymore Propoerties.

So, the situation is as follows:

-an international corporation, with Michael Smurfit on the board, has continuously tried to contravene planning laws to make more money.

-6,300 local residents signed a petition urging the developers to stick to their promises.

-Over 1,500 partook in a protest gathering and march.

-The local cinema shut down before the centre opened, as the developers had not announced they had no intention of building the cinema they had being advertising.

-The cinema space lies vacant over a year one, with cinema operators wanting to use it. The developers are holding out for more profit. They have even gone so far as to threaten not to build the cinema if their change-of-use permission is refused by ABP.

ABP are currently considering the proposal. A cinema makes 20 euro per square foot per year
Retail makes 140 euro per square foot per year. However, if this corporation gets it's way and undermines local law, the people gain nothing.

http://www.kildare-nationalist.ie/news/story.asp?j=2530...=news

http://www.kildare.ie/community/notices/community/white...a.asp

-they have been refused twice