Greenway plans may be scrapped
CLLR Garry Laffan went to bat once again for the proposed Wexford to Curracloe Greenway project at last week’s meeting of the county council.
The project had previously been refused planning permission by An Bord Pleanála with concerns regarding potential impacts on the Raven Point Nature Reserve and Wexford Harbour and Slobs being to the fore in submissions. An Bord Pleanála stated that the proposed greenway would be ‘detrimental to the attractive and sensitive landscape and visual amenities of the area’.
Despite this, Cllr Laffan feels that the greenway has the potential to be a real game-changer for the area and Wexford’s tourism offering as a whole.
‘Curracloe is one of the finest beaches in the country,’ he said. ‘It seems to me that this amenity would really improve things for the area if we could get it over the line.’
Director of Services Eddie Taaffe said that a decision was imminent on whether to try and make changes and proceed with the project, or whether to scrap the whole thing.
‘At this stage we need to do an assessment based on the feedback from An Bord Pleanála,’ he said. ‘We need to see if we would be likely to get planning if we go back again. We need to be sure we’d be in with a reasonable chance of getting permission, because these things can be costly.’
‘We may decide in the coming weeks that it simply may not work. This is a very complex project in a very sensitive area.’