Cliff walk lands to be transferred to the co council Plans to apply for major funding for Wicklow
A LAND disposal to transfer lands at the cliff walk in Wicklow town into the ownership of Wicklow County Council is due to come before a full council meeting in September.
In 2014, fencing and warning signs were erected blocking accessibility for walkers to the picturesque cliff walk from the Glen Turn entrance.
Engineer Paul Byrne is leading the project and he provided an update to Councillors at Monday’s monthly meeting of Wicklow Municipal District.
He recently held a meeting with Friends of the Murrough and listened to some concerns the group had over the upgrade of the walk, including environmental issues and the fact the path was close to the cliff edge in parts of the planned route.
‘I will be discussing the issues with Wicklow Golf Club and will then come back to Friends of the Murrough,’ said Mr Byrne. ‘I will mark up the concerns raised on a drawing for the meeting with the golf club. In principal, it shouldn’t be a problem but the club want to see drawings. We will then be moving ahead with fencing on the lighthouse side and trails on lands owned by Wicklow County Council’.
A land disposal with Wicklow Golf Club is expected to appear on September’s agenda of Wicklow County Council and, once signed, the lands and the cliff walk will be transferred into the ownership of the county council.
‘Things are moving along well. I would like to thank all the stakeholders and we are very happy that everyone is working together,’ said Mr Byrne.
Cllr Mary Kavanagh was aware of ‘one or two’ pinch points and narrow spots along the route but also had concerns over the soft ground at the start of the route.
‘If we had another two storms like we did this winter then, effectively, the start of the route would be damaged and people couldn’t access the walk. The route should at least be far enough back that it would limit the impact of erosion. It’s a wonderful walk that we want to last for years to come and not just for the foreseeable future,’ said Cllr Kavanagh.
Mr Byrne replied that the council was already looking at further funding options.
He said: ‘We are looking for funding for that area. The funding for the moment is for the walkway but we are examining all areas of funding. We have a design waiting to go should we get the additional funding but it would be for a relatively large figure, between €450,000 and €500,000’.
Cllr Gail Dunne welcomed the progress that was being made.
‘There are so many different elements and it is great that all the stakeholders are pulling together to make sure the people get what they really want.’ WICKLOW Municipal District plans to lodge an application for a new Project Ireland 2040 fund that could provide finances for works at Fitzwilliam Square and for a new library.
There is a total of €500 million Exchequer funding to the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund over the years 2019 to 2022, with €100 million of expenditure available in 2019.
The Urban Regeneration Fund is available to towns with a population of 10,000 or over. The application must be valued at €2 million, with the local authority expected to match the funding by at least 20 per cent.
A project team has been formed, chaired by Christine Flood.
District Manager Brian Gleeson said: ‘This is a fantastic opportunity. That’s why our Chief Executive has put a team together and provided resources’.
Fitzwilliam Square and the new library planned for Wicklow town are considered two opportunities to secure funding. There are two categories, the first of which is for ‘ready-to-go’ or ‘shovel ready’ projects that can be initiated over 2019. The second category is for proposals that require further development. Wicklow Municipal District will put forward proposals for both categories.
Cllr Gail Dunne said: ‘Down through the years I don’t think our district has looked for enough funding so this is very exciting’.
He also suggested that the funding, if successful, could also be used to install CCTV cameras in different locations within the town.
Cllr John Snell said: ‘Our Chief Executive (Frank Curran) has a very god reputation for securing funding at national level from the previous positions he held in local authorities. If we don’t apply for more grants then we won’t get them’.