Broken barrier sparks fears of camp’s return
BARRIER DESTROYED AND SITE NO LONGER SECURE
CONCERNS are growing that further illegal encampments could try to set up home along the Murrough after a protective barrier was destroyed over the weekend.
A group of caravans illegally gathered at the scenic beauty-spot suddenly left the site on Friday, with Wicklow County Council responding immediately by securing the site with a barrier and lock to prevent anyone else from setting up camp in the environmentally protected area.
However, the barrier was vandalised sometime over the weekend, leading to concerns that the illegal encampment could return.
Deputy John Brady said: ‘Sometime on Saturday evening the barrier was completely destroyed. You would have needed some sort of chain attached to a truck to cause that sort of damage.
‘In the meantime the council need to place some boulders there to restrict access until a new barrier is in place. It will also give the local authority some time to go in and clear-up the site properly.’
THERE are fears that further illegal encampments could try to set up home along the Murrough after a protective barrier was destroyed over the weekend.
An illegal encampment consisting of a number of caravans was positioned along the popular scenic beauty-spot for the past number of months, prompting numerous complaints from members of the public. The encampment moved out of the area on Friday, resulting in staff from Wicklow County Council securing the site with a barrier and lock to prevent anyone else from setting up camp in the environmentally protected area.
However, the barrier was vandalised sometime over the weekend, leading to concerns that the illegal encampment could return.
Deputy John Brady says a great deal of effort went into destroying the barrier.
‘There used to be a padlock on the barrier but that was initially broken some months ago,’ said the Sinn Féin TD.
‘The site was vacated very quickly on Friday and the Council reacted very promptly and had the site secured a short time later that same day. Sometime on Saturday evening the barrier was completely destroyed.
‘You would have needed some sort of chain attached to a truck to cause that sort of damage. in the meantime the council need to place some boulders there to restrict access until a new barrier is in place.
‘It will also give the local authority some time to go in and clear-up the site properly. This is a environmentally special area of beauty and needs to be treated as such.’
Cllr Irene Winters, Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council, maintains that the Murrough is not a suitable area for any sort of illegal encampment. ‘The Murrough is an amenity and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). It’s not a suitable location for anyone to be living, especially when it isn’t being left in the sort of condition that you would expect for such an area,’ said Cllr Winters.
The Murrough has also become a dumping ground, with Wicklow County Council forced to clean up large quantities of illegally dumped waste from locations in October.
‘Since the illegal encampment moved in, the levels of dumping has noticeably increased. Having an illegal encampment near by just leads to dumping. It encourages others to do as they please,’ said Cllr Winters.
Deputy Brady said it was imperative that whoever was responsible for the illegal dumping was apprehended and brought before the courts to face the consequences for their actions.