WHEELS IN MOTION ON CYCLE GREENWAY

THE COUNTY COUNCIL IS SEEKING BORD PLEANALA APPROVAL TO BUILD A NEW CYCLE/PEDESTRIAN PATH FROM FERRYBANK TO CURRACLOE WHICH COULD ATTRACT 275,000 VISITORS A YEAR AND PUMP €40M PER ANNUM INTO THE LOCAL ECONOMY. ESTHER HAYDEN REPORTS

PLANS for a new cycle greenway from Wexford town to Curracloe have been submitted to An Bord Pleanala.

Wexford County Council have looked for An Bord Pleanala’s approval for the proposed development taking in the townslands of Ferrybank North and South, Tincone, Burgess, Ardcavan, Crosstown, Craanagam, North West Slob, Big Island, North East Slob and The Raven.

The proposed greenway will be a shared cycle/ pedestrian path comprising three parts.

The first part is the main greenway which will be a substantially off-road 10.7km long 3m wide macadam path which follows along the northern fringe of Wexford Harbour from Ferrybank in Wexford town to Cullenton’s Gap near Curracloe. The route crosses agricultural land, the Wexford Wildfowl Reserve, lands adjacent to the North Slob sea wall and through Raven Wood.

Two loops will connect at either end of the main greenway, the Ferrybank Loop and the Raven Wood Loop.

The Ferrybank Loop is a 6.1km long 3m wide cycle track segregated from the R741 Regional Road, extending from Ferrybank to Ardcavan Business Park. The cycle track then follows the access road through Ardcavan Business Park and along Ardcavan Lane reconnecting with the main greenway at Ardcavan beach.

The Raven Wood Loop will see an additional 1.4km section of the existing Raven Wood Loop will be upgraded to 3m wide off-road greenway with a macadam surface.

Greenway access through Wexford Wildfowl Reserve will be prohibited between September 15 to April 15 annually due to its special status.

The proposed works include the construction of a boardwalk across the Burgess wetland, screened viewing platforms on the greenway route at the Wexford Wildfowl Visitor centre and Curracloe Channel along with a 25-space carpark at Ardcavan Lane.

The council have also had a Natura Impact Statement prepared to accompany the application because the proposed development impacts on a number of designated European sites.

Of the 10.7 Km route, 4.8km is on existing roads or established trails, approximately 1km is on existing unsurfaced agricultural vehicle route and approximately 4.9km is through agricultural land.

In its planning report Wexford County Council outlines how tourism plays an important economic and social role within the county. It said that the county development plan mentions ‘sandy beaches with Curracloe specifically mentioned, with the Raven Point Nature Reserve and the Wexford Wildfowl Reserve also on the list. The proposed greenway links these three important tourist amenities but the winter/ spring closure of Leg 2 of the greenway reflects the environmental sensitivity of the Wexford Harbour and Slobs SPA.

A conservative estimate reckons that the proposed greenway could attract upwards of 275,000 visits per annum and be worth up to €40m to the local economy, regional and national economy in terms of direct spend and added value on an annual basis.

‘Under ‘Recreation Tourist Attractions’ bird watching is listed and the promotion and development of the greenway will improve access for visitors to the Wexford Wildfowl Reserve which will highlight the international importance of the slob area for wintering birds including the Greenland White-fronted Geese.’

The report outlined how while County Wexford and the Wexford Town environs already has a fairly diverse tourism product one area of weakness in the town area is tack of an established or dedicated walking/cycle path to cater for tourists.

There are no off road dedicated walking and cycle routes and the cycle routes are extremely limited in the town area. It is felt that the development of the proposed greenway would be a considerable enhancement and diversification of the tourism product in the area.

The report outlines how ‘the provision of a dedicated cycle path/walkway for a distance of 10.7km in the heart of the main county town, Wexford will involve a considerable enhancement of the Wexford tourist product’.

The council said that detailed talks and consultations have taken place with the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to discuss the important Natura 2000 sites at the Wexford Wildfowl Reserve adjacent to the proposed greenway, and concerns in respect of the proposed greenway from the NPWS have been taken into account in the design and operational management regime for the greenway. The design team have informed the NPWS that the proposed winter/ spring closure of the route will be firmly enforced.

It is felt that the greenway will be even more attractive to tourists because of the availability of existing camping sites at both end.

At the Wexford Town terminus of the greenway there is an existing caravan and camping park at Ferrybank which will help service the proposed greenway. In the Curracloe area at the other end of the greenway route, there is an existing caravan and camping park at the Northern end of Curracloe at Ballinesker.

Both ends of the proposed greenway are serviced by existing camping parks and should the greenway potential be realised in terms of tourist numbers, a number of the other caravan parks in the Curracloe area may provide camping facilities in addition to the two established sites.

A number of protected structures and architectural heritage sites such as Wexford Bridge and St Margaret’s Church are sited some distance from the proposed greenway so it will have little or no impact on these. The proposed route also passes by the North Slob Pump House using the existing road and it is proposed that the history and location of such attractions will be included on tourist information boards along the greenway.

The report outlined how Wexford is a major tourism destination and it is estimated that the tourism industry is worth approximately €225m to the local economy annually. Growing tourism is key to job creation with every 55 international tourists supporting one tourism job and every €1m of tourist expenditure helps to support 34 tourism jobs.

There will also be a focus on accessible tourism along the greenway and it will be designed, developed and marketed in accordance with the National Disability Inclusion Strategy for outdoor recreation facilities, footpaths and trails.

In addition to this the council operates a beach wheel initiative in Curracloe. The proposed greenway will be fully accessible with its very modest gradients making it extremely accessible.

It is also felt that the proposed greenway will serve to enhance Wexford’s offering as part of Ireland’s Ancient East campaign. The county, as part of this initiative, has a strong history of big houses and maritime stores.

The proposed greenway will offer superb views for the public of the entire Wexford Harbour area and the harbour’s story and also the historical significance of the reclamation in the mid-19th century to create the North Slob area will form part of the historical context of the greenway. The greenway will be branded very much as part of the Ireland’s Ancient East experience.

The greenway will also hope to attract visitors arriving in the country through Rosslare Port to explore the county rather than simply pass through.

In 2016 it is estimated that 421,000 passengers entered Rosslare but only 238,000 overseas visitors are recorded as visiting the county in that year. This figure of 238,000 includes tourists that arrive through other access points therefore it is quite obvious that a high percentage of the people that arrive through Rosslare don’t stay in the county.

In terms of dedicated walking and cycle paths County Wexford lags behind many other counties. The proposed greenway would tap into this major market for walking and cycling enthusiasts and open up a tourism infrastructure a dedicated coastal greenway, that is currently not available in the county.

In anticipation of a positive outcome from An Bord Pleanala Wexford County Council has met with all the landowners along the selected route on an individual basis and in some cases minor amendments to the route have been made following those discussions.

However no formal agreements have been reached with any of the landowners and it is proposed to enter detailed discussions on accommodation works/compensation if and when a planning decision is forthcoming.

Detailed discussions have also been had with the NPWS and representatives of the Slob Commissioners. The elected members of Wexford County Council are also aware of the plans and on February 19 the members unanimously supported the development.

It is proposed to include signage and information boards along the route to highlight the heritage features encountered, including the development of the North Slob, the Wildfowl Reserve and the Raven Wood. The Wexford to Curracloe Greenway project will fit seamlessly into the surrounding environment by using native screening; landscaping and appropriate construction materials.

In additional to the tourism, economic and health benefits the greenway could bring it will also provide a safe traffic free commuter route for local people into Wexford Town. The fact that the proposed scheme is located entirely off road except for the access section to the Wildfowl Reserve will provide a greater advantage to the cyclist and pedestrians.

Submissions or observations should be made to An Bord Pleanala before June 1.

In terms of dedicated walking and cycle paths, Wexford lags behind many other counties