CALL MADE TO DEVELOP EAST COAST CYCLEWAY
DEPUTY James Browne has called for an East Coast cycleway to be developed between Larne Port, in Northern Ireland, and Rosslare Europort.
In making the call Deputy Browne said such a development would strengthen ties between the two jurisdictions post-Brexit.
He has written to Wexford County Council and the Minister for Transport and Tourism about the matter and is seeking the development of a cycleway along the eastern coast.
Commenting about the matter he said it’s something that should be included in the Programme for Government - which is expected to provide ‘a significant increase in funding for cycle ways’.
‘Having witnessed the success of the Waterford Greenway and with efforts ongoing to link it into Wexford I think this is an opportune time to develop a cycleway between Larne Port and Rosslare Europort,’ he said.
‘With sights set on developing cycling infrastructure it’s time to think big and up our tourism offering,’ he added.
Deputy Browne said it would benefit people throughout County Wexford and make it easier and safer to cycle between towns and villages.
He also suggested it would also lead to ‘a surge in interest among tourists’ who could use County Wexford as their first port-of-call on their cycling holiday here.
‘Ultimately the goal would be for an eastern cycleway to connect with existing plans to develop a greenway between Rosslare Europort and Waterford,’ he said.
‘Without a doubt it would aid tourism and strengthen links between North and South [Ireland] post Brexit, while promoting healthy activities in an environmentally friendly way,’ he added.
Deputy Browne expects people to be looking at ‘staycation’ options once the current pandemic is over and that outdoor style holidays will be something people will be interested in.
‘The time is right for these proposals and I will work on securing a commitment to develop plans for this cycle way,’ he said.