Wicklow cliff walk included in plan
A CLIFF walk in Wicklow town has been included in the Wicklow County Development Plan having been passed by councillors during a vote at Monday’s meeting.
The looped walk starts at Dunbur Lower and continues up toward Brides Head.
At the meeting, some amendments to walks in Wicklow town, Bray and Newcastle were made, though from the offset some elected members felt that not enough consultation had taken place with private landowners.
‘I feel we are getting the creation of the walks back to front,’ said Cllr Christopher Fox. ‘ The fundamental principal is that you get consultation and agreement with land owners and stakeholders.
‘Its quite obvious there has been little or no consultation. You need agreement from the start otherwise it is just a paper exercise.’
Cllr Joe Behan said that the council had established a sub-committee when examining public rights of way a number of years ago, which at the time was chaired by Cllr Pat Vance.
‘The key was it wasn’t going to be confrontational. It was about consensus and agreement. There are landowners with genuine concerns. There could be a clash in the future between the rights of land owners and the rights of walkers. We need to proceed carefully with this.’
Cllr Vance agreed that the process could only be successful once all the stakeholders and landowners were involved.
‘With a sub-committee you can’t get all these rights of ways and walks without agreements with the land owner.
‘I found if you sit down and approached them in a proper manner you can get results. Other local authorities went in with the big stick and they are still in the high court giving serious money to barristers.’
Cllr John Snell said he had been given assurances that an open section of a fence on the Dunbur Walk leading onto private land would be closed off.
‘ The walk may also require some signs as well so walkers within the realm know when they step over the boundary they are going onto private land. We had a situation in the county recently where someone took high court action after falling on State-owned land. We don’t want a similar situation where land owners feel vulnerable.’
Cllr Gail Dunne also felt it was important that the route was clearly marked so walkers were aware if they strayed onto private land. ‘If you bring people up to private land then, traditionally, they keep walking.’
Cllr Mary Kavanagh said it would be ‘inconceivable’ if the Dunbur walk wasn’t passed and included in the six year-long Development Plan. ‘It’s designed to travel in a loop and never leaves council land. It doesn’t cross over and Friends of the Murrough made great efforts to make sure the walk was kept on council land,’ she said.
Cllr Shay Cullen said he would have concerns over land access.
‘ The walk goes out to Wicklow head and effectively comes back on the lighthouse road. The loop is probably the best option but something like signage may be required to stop people getting onto private property.’
Cllr Irene Winters also reiterated that the walk wouldn’t cross any private lands.
‘Its a beautiful walk for anyone who has been out there. It ends at the end of the road that goes to the lighthouses. Its not going over private land. Its a marked walk on publicly owned lands.’
The modifications were passed, on the condition that the whole in the fence would be closed off and signage erected.