Funding deadline extended for Wexford walking trail which previously caused ‘all hell to break loose’ in rural community
Wexford PeopleA proposed walking trail which has divided a rural Wexford community may yet go ahead after the county council confirmed it had received an extension for a funding application. The trail, which had been proposed for Kilmore Quay, was granted planning permission by Wexford County Council (WCC) in February of this year subject to €500,000 in grant funding from the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS).
However, after planning permission for the trail was granted a group of local residents submitted an objection to An Bord Pleanala (now An Coimisiún Pleanála) on March 19. Citing a lack of consultation and a range of environmental issues, the objectors stressed that, although not against a trail in principle, they wanted to see something more in suiting with the area’s wildlife developed in Kilmore Quay.
Under ordinary circumstances the case would have been examined by An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP) and, in time, a decision on whether to overrule or accept the objection would have been delivered.
Where this case differs is that the ORIS funding for the trail comes with a deadline. Due to expire at the end of July, the €500,000 grant was set to be returned to Department of Rural and Community Development unless WCC received an extension or ACP returned with a decision.
With no decision forthcoming from the national planning authority, WCC has now confirmed that the deadline for drawing down the funding has been extended until the end of November 2025, by which point it is hopeful ACP will have made its ruling.
Confirming the extension, a spokesperson for WCC said, “When the planning permission was appealed to An Coimisiún Pleanála the Department asked that an update on the appeal be provided at the original decision date, i.e. July 2025.
“This was provided and the Department granted an extension to the ORIS grant in line with the now expected decision date from An Coimisiún Pleanála at the end of November 2025.”
Reacting to the news, the Kilmore Quay Community Trail Information group said: “This is an important step forward for the project, and we’re hopeful that An Bord Pleanála (An Coimisiún Pleanála) will have made its decision by then regarding the appeal on the planning permission granted by WCC for the trail.”