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Cllr Tom O'Leary in Skerries.

The “Red Barn” at Skerries Mills could be used to hold civil wedding ceremonies after re-development by Fingal County Council, a Fine Gael councillor has said.

C llr Tom O’Leary was speaking at a recent full meeting of the council, where a presentation was given to councillors proposing the redevelopment of the “Red Barn” at Skerries Mills, Millers Lane, Skerries.

The proposal is to accommodate new tearooms and associated infrastructure, site works and landscaping.

The proposal involves the demolition of the existing agricultural barn, providing a site for a new building within the main arrivals area in close proximity to the existing mill buildings.

The intended use will be ancillary to the original Mill buildings and will rely on these buildings for shared support services.

Landscaping and decking are proposed to the area south of the proposed building, which will have a surface area of 128.50m2.

The site is located to the west of Skerries Mill pond, off Miller’s Lane, within the curtilage of the larger Skerries Mill site, and adjacent to two existing protected structures – Skerries Mill and the Great Windmill.

The proposal will facilitate increased permeability within the Mill complex, providing greater connection to the Mill Race area to the south of the new “Red Barn” structure.

The Council’s Planning and Strategic Infrastructure Department have reviewed the proposals and concluded that it complies with the objectives contained in the Fingal Development Plan 2017-2023.

The Department has further concluded that the proposal “will make a positive addition to the area and is considered to be in accordance with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.”

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A summary of observations included suggestions that the facility be used as a new cafe space for everyday visitors, and that the facility be made available for community events.

Fingal County Council has recommended that the council proceed with the proposed development, subject to consideration of seven separate recommendations of the Planning and Strategic Infrastructure Report.

The proposal went on pubic display from Wednesday June 8 to Wednesday July 6, with last date for submissions on Wednesday July 20.

Welcoming the proposal at the meeting of the full council, Cllr Tom O’Leary (FG) said he would like to formally propose that the scheme be approved.

The Mills, he said, was in “a wonderful location” and had a lot of community use.

Cllr O’Leary said the Mills has recently been licensed for holding civil weddings, and suggested the new facility could be used for this purpose, as well as school tours and other uses.

Cllr O’Leary said he saw “huge potential” to use the facility as a demonstration of the use of sustainable energy, “from the year 1200 right up to date.”

Cllr Karen Power (GR) said she wished to emphasise the need for underground ESB cables at the site, as a number of swans had been lost over the years from flying into posts.

She also asked that mitigations and work be carried out to ensure there is minimal impact on the Mills stream.

The report was agreed by the council.

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