Concerns raised about progress of 23-bay motorhome park in Wexford – ‘It’s becoming more of a mystery with each passing meeting’
Wexford PeopleA new 23-bay motorhome in Marshmeadows, New Ross is progressing as expected despite concerns it is “no further down the line” from when it was first announced. Describing the status of the motorhome as “a mystery”, Councillor Pat Barden bemoaned the lack of progress on a project which was stymied last year due to the need for an environmental impact assessment (EIA).
"It’s becoming more of a mystery with each passing meeting, an environmental report surely can’t take this long,” he said at the April meeting of the New Ross Municipal District (NRMD). “We’ve been talking about the motorhome park for about five years and we’re no further down the road with it from what I can see.”
However, director of services with Wexford County Council (WCC) Eamonn Hore was quick to dismiss any suggestions the motorhome was not going to be delivered.
“The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) decided it would have an impact on the special area of conservation (SAC) on the Barrow, so now it is going to the national planning authority and to go there it requires an EIA – it’s unfair to say it hasn’t moved on,” he said.
The proposed site is close to the Oaklands Roundabout, directly opposite New Ross Garda Station and, if approved, will feature a modern 23-bay motorhome park with drinking water, sewerage, and waste facilities, along with lighting, landscaping, controlled access, and ancillary works.
A full EIA requires all impacted species to be present, meaning certain elements of the assessment must be conducted during the summer months.
Voicing his general discontent at the pace in which WCC did its business, Cllr Barden said those on the continent operated at a much brisker pace.
“I was at a conference in Donegal where I spoke to Spanish people who had been given instructions to build a motorway from Madrid to north Spain, they had the project complete in three years. It’s taken us nearly 30 years to do the one from Oylegate to Rosslare.”
"That’s incorrect,” replied Mr Hore. “During the last economic crash the money was pulled for that and the project was only restarted in 2019.”