Latest news with #WicklowCountyCouncil
Irish Independent
8 hours ago
- General
- Irish Independent
Safe, sustainable and healthy – Wicklow community hails new Safe Routes to School scheme
The programme was first launched in 2021 to provide safer front-of-school environments and improved walking and cycling infrastructure around schools. By 2024, an additional 141 schools were rolled into the active programme nationally, with eight Wicklow schools approved for funding to date. Schools participating in the scheme have reported a 17pc reduction in car journeys, as more students opt for walking, cycling, scooting, or using public transport. The improvements at St Kevin's highlight the benefits of the scheme, with the 'school zone' upgrades to the front of the school creating a safer environment for students when commuting. Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council, Cllr Melanie Corrigan, welcomed the official opening of the Safe Routes to School project at St Kevin's NS, on Tuesday, June 17, and said the completed works have 'significantly enhanced the area ensuring safety for children and peace of mind for parents'. 'I would like to pay tribute to the Wicklow County Council's Active Travel Team together with the staff from Greystones Municipal District for their hard work and dedication from design to construction on this project. It is a great achievement of all parties involved to witness this delivery of works, which no doubt will be enjoyed by many and for many years to come,' she said. Greystones councillor Stephen Stokes, a past pupil of St Kevin's, said the launch marked a significant milestone in efforts to promote active travel and ensure safer conditions for students and families travelling to and from the school each day. He pointed to significant improvements at the school, including upgraded pedestrian crossings, pencil bollards, clearer road surfaces and a re-opening of the Church Lane gate – all designed to prioritise the safety of young road users. 'This is a proud day for the community in Greystones,' he said. 'I commend the students, staff, and families of St Kevin's who have engaged so positively with this initiative. The Safe Routes to School programme is about more than infrastructure, it's about building a culture of safety, sustainability, and healthy habits for the future.' 'I look forward to seeing even more students choosing active travel every day. These improvements will benefit the entire community and reflect our commitment to putting children's safety first.' Looking more broadly across the county, Tánaiste and Wicklow TD Simon Harris said he welcomed the progress under the programme, which he said is helping to make daily school journeys safer, healthier, and more sustainable for students across County Wicklow. 'Eight schools in Wicklow are now participating in the Safe Routes to School initiative, which is a clear sign of the county's commitment to safer and greener travel,' said the Tánaiste. 'The scheme is not only benefiting students, but it's also making a positive impact on the environment and easing local traffic congestion. 'Encouraging students to walk, cycle, scoot, or take public transport not only promotes road safety but also reduces traffic around our schools. I'm proud that Wicklow is playing an active role in this national effort,' he added. The programme is funded by the Department of Transport through the National Transport Authority (NTA). It is coordinated by the Education and Community Action Team of An Taisce and is delivered in partnership with local authorities. The eight Wicklow schools that have received funding are:
Irish Independent
11 hours ago
- Climate
- Irish Independent
Swim bans lifted at Wicklow beaches in time for hottest weekend
All 11 beaches monitored for water quality by Wicklow County Council were put under a warning from Friday last week until Monday, June 16, when tests were taking. Results for these have now been published. All beaches were given a water quality status of 'excellent' except Wicklow Harbour, which was classed as 'good'. There are seven swimming areas identified under the Bathing Water Regulations 2008, in the county. These are: Bray South Promenade, Greystones South Beach, The Cove, Greystones, Silver Strand, Brittas Bay North Beach, Brittas South Beach and Clogga Beach. The council also monitors six other bathing waters (termed 'non-identified bathing waters') in the county, these are: South of Bray Harbour, Kilcoole Beach, The Murrough Wicklow, Wicklow Harbour Bathing Area, The Cove, Arklow and Arklow South Beach. The most recent tests, taken on June 16, show the following results for the water quality each of these bathing areas: Bray South Promenade: Excellent. Greystones South Beach: Excellent. The Cove, Greystones: Excellent. Silver Strand: Excellent. Brittas Bay North Beach: Excellent. Brittas South: Excellent. Clogga Beach: Excellent. South of Bray Harbour: Excellent. Kilcoole Beach: Excellent. The Murrough Wicklow: Excellent. Wicklow Harbour Bathing Area: Good. Arklow Cove: Excellent. Arklow South Beach: Excellent. The council has advised that warning notices may be issued cautioning against bathing at waters where the local authority, in consultation with the Health Service Executive, believes the water quality may present a risk to bathers' health. Notices will be published on the website and sampling for water quality takes place throughout the summer until September.
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Automotive
- Irish Independent
Two more Wicklow towns added to Moby e-bike scheme
Each e-bike comes equipped with features that support safer, more convenient travel, including automatic gearing, GPS tracking and long-lasting batteries with a range of up to 70 km. Recognising that the hilly terrain in Wicklow can be a barrier to conventional cycling, the council has partnered with Moby to offer a practical and accessible solution. Cllr Paul O'Brien launched the scheme on Friday, June 13, in what was his final official duties as Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council, before passing on the chain of office to Cllr Melanie Corrigan. He stated: 'This is a smart, climate-focused initiative that will make a real difference to how people move around our towns. By offering a clean and convenient alternative to the private car, we're reducing congestion, cutting emissions, and improving the quality of life for our residents and visitors. This is a practical step toward a more sustainable future for County Wicklow.' He added: 'The scheme was a huge success when launched in Bray and was also recently launched in Greystones. I worked hard before my time was up as Cathaoirleach to make sure the scheme came to our county town. We are always seeing different schemes and initiatives taking place in Bray or Greystones, so it was great to see Wicklow town and Rathnew being treated the same. 'Obviously, we hope the scheme provides a big tourism boost, and I know from talking to the local chamber of commerce, they get a lot of requests from tourists and visitors looking to rent bikes. However, the e-bikes aren't just for tourists, we want everyone to use them, including residents of Wicklow town and Rathnew. The e-bike docks are dotted throughout Wicklow town and Rathnew, near to schools and attractions such as the Black Castle ad the Murrough. "E-bike stations are also strategically located near public transport hubs, schools, sports centres, tourist sites and residential areas, making it easier than ever to leave the car at home. "I also hope the e-bikes get the respect they deserve. I know there were some issues in Greystones with e-bikes being discarded along footpaths, and I hope we don't encounter the same issues in Wicklow and Rathnew.' Users can rent and return bikes through the Moby Move app, with designated parking stands and virtual zones helping to manage the service sustainably. The scheme operates 24/7 with flexible pricing, including pay-per-use options. New users will receive €10 in free ride credit to encourage them to try the service and make the shift toward smarter travel. CEO and founder of Moby Thomas O'Connell commented: 'Our goal is to support Wicklow County Council in making sustainable travel an easy and appealing choice. "Whether commuting, connecting to public transport, or exploring the area, our e-bikes offer a reliable and zero-emission alternative to driving. We're proud to help Wicklow lead the way in smarter mobility.' ADVERTISEMENT To further support this shift, Wicklow County Council's green team and climate action team will launch a workplace travel survey from July 21. This survey will form part of the TFI smarter travel behaviour change programme and will gather insights into how council staff are adapting their travel habits in light of new mobility options like the Moby e-bikes available in Bray, Greystones and Wicklow town. In addition to the bike scheme, a shared electric pool car will also be made available at county buildings.
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Automotive
- Irish Independent
Appeal over refusal of 58 Wicklow homes is rejected
The appeal was submitted by Ronan O'Caoimh and applied to lands at Ashtown Lane, Hawkestown Lower, including existing dwellings, Elbren Cottage, Ashtown Lane, and Redkite Rest. The 58 single and two storey homes were due be a mix of two, three and four bedroom houses, including bungalows, terraced and semi-detached dwellings. The planning application also involved the proposed removal of the existing dwelling, Elbren Cottage, and the semi-detached single storey garage structure located on the site. The appeal was submitted after Wicklow County Council refused the application in February, having considered the site's peripheral location, which would result in the proposed development being primarily car dependent, the existing undeveloped lands closer to the centre of Wicklow town, and the scale of the proposed development. The approved plans of the local authority to upgrade Rocky Road, the L1099, as an improved access to/from the M11 to Wicklow town was also noted by the planning section, and the lack of any plans to deal with potential traffic increases on Ashtown Lane, the L5100. An Bord Pleanála paid regard to the objectives of the Wicklow County Development Plan 2022-2028 before making their decision to reject the appeal. It is considered that the design and layout of the proposed development does not respond favourably to the topography of the proposed development site in this location and would cause a poor contextual elevation of the proposed development from Ashtown Lane, which would result in the rear of dwellings being visible from the public road. It was also ruled that the proposed development would adversely impact on the visual amenities of the area and would not, therefore, strengthen the character of the area or provide a coherent and legible urban structure. It was also felt that, notwithstanding the relatively short vehicle access route to Junction 18 of the M11 motorway, the proposed development would be premature pending the provision of road improvements to the local road network that would provide ease of movement and avoid conflict between pedestrians/cyclists and traffic, and would therefore constitute a traffic hazard.
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Independent
First new local area plan for Blessington in a decade is voted in
The plan for the west Wicklow town and surrounding area is the first to be adopted in over a decade, with the previous plan in place for six years between 2013 and 2019. During a meeting of Wicklow County Council on Monday, members considered 37 amendments to the proposed plan that will provide a framework to support the future development of the area up until 2031. During the council session, councillors also reviewed a myriad of reports that have been carried out ahead of the plan's implementation, looking specifically on how it will affect local communities in the wider west Wicklow region. Speaking during the meeting, independent councillor John Snell stressed the need for better transport links and called for a committee to be set up to review the issue. 'We were given reassurances on our own local area plan for Wicklow-Rathnew that a committee would be set up straight away and that plan has passed and there's still no sign of a committee being put committees need to be up and running now and not wait until the lifetime of this council is gone.' In response director of services Brian Gleeson said a group has met on a couple of occasions to look at that proposal of setting up these committees. 'We have gotten support from the National Transport Authority to proceed with that. So, a brief is being drafted up to go to tender under an NTA framework. That is currently being progressed.' Meanwhile on the issue of land zoning, independent councillor Gerry O' Neill raised concern about the area earmarked for the building of a new graveyard and called for planners to look at other sites. 'We have the main graveyard at Burgage and a proposal was made to extend it to the far side of the road, and the suggestion to remove that, this is where I am objecting to. 'We're down to about 30, 35 spaces in the existing graveyard. So I understand what the planners are saying here and I accept their view, but I believe an alternative site needs to be found.' ADVERTISEMENT Having considered the 37 amendments, councillors adopted the plan with minor adjustments. Following the vote Fianna Fáil councillor Patsy Glennon thanked the planning team and his colleagues in the chamber for supporting the plan. 'It will give a new lease of life to Blessington over the coming years and hopefully we will get much needed sports facilities, graveyards, all the things that are essential for a community to be vibrant and looking forward to the future with an increased population.' The elected members also voted to amend certain planning policies in the Wicklow County Development Plan 2022 – 2028 that will make it possible for the new plan in Blessington to be implemented. At the conclusion of the meeting director of services Michael Nicholson thanked the planning staff for their 'trojan work.' 'This is the second plan they have gone through having done Wicklow earlier in the year. To do one is a huge task, to do two in quick succession is no joke. 'I thank all 32 councillors for their cooperation, and particularly the members from Baltinglass. I think you all worked very, very well and I think it is a great result.' Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
