Future of ambitious plans for Courtown and Riverchapel rests on construction of new 198-berth marina

By Simon Bourke, Wexford People

Wexford County Council’s ambitious plans to rejuvenate Courtown and Riverchapel have been outlined in a wide-ranging document which sets out the future of the two villages for the next 30 years. Created by a specially appointed town team along with WCC’s town regeneration officer Mick McCormack, the Town Centre First Plan (TCFP) for Courtown and Riverchapel was presented to councillors at the September meeting of the Gorey Kilmuckridge Municipal District (GKMD).

Described as providing a “long-term vision for sustainable regeneration” in the villages, the TCFP does not include existing plans to develop a 198-berth marina in Courtown and build a new community centre in Riverchapek. While those projects will be carried out separately, the TCFP will see “urban space improvement” works completed in Courtown creating an “all-season destination space with active travel”.

Similarly, The Parade and Main Street in Riverchapel will be completely reshaped with “safer crossings, traffic calming, landscape and streetscape upgrades, and space for community life”. A “green/blue corridor” will connect both centres and will feature a “two-way cycle track, upgraded footpath, crossings, and biodiversity enhancements”.

In Courtown a coastal and maritime centre will be developed and there will also be a study carried out to assess the need for health, education, recreation, and wider infrastructure needs in both villages. This will tie into a traffic management and active travel study with a focus on parking and road safety that prioritises walking, cycling, and public transport.

In creating its TCFP, the council examined the current socio-economic background of Courtown and Riverchapel and how the demographic of those living in the villages has altered over the past 30 years.

“The experience of living, working, and visiting Courtown and Riverchapel has changed dramatically in recent years,” the plan reads. “The villages experienced significant development during and after the Celtic Tiger years, resulting in an effective connection as a twin settlement.

"Additionally, the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted social and economic vulnerabilities for the community and local economy that still need to be addressed.”

Helping the council to address these issues were a series of public consultations designed to highlight the concerns of the local community. Including a workshop at Riverchapel National School and meetings with representatives from both villages, these consultations raised a number of issues which residents wished to see addressed by the TCFP.

“Persistent gaps in health, youth, childcare, and older people’s services” were highlighted as was the “lack of indoor, multi-purpose community space”, “poor access to existing public and community services (GP, HSE, Tusla), “youth disengagement and social isolation”.

The centre of Courtown was described as lacking “cohesion and vibrancy” with a “lack of attractive public spaces or pedestrian areas” and strong support was expressed for the marina and a water sports hub, An “over-reliance on summer tourism” was cited as a major contributory factor for the village’s problems and a need for “year-round attractions and events” was considered the best way to combat this.

In addition, there were concerns over anti-social behaviour, “limited garda presence”, and poor lighting and CCTV in public areas.

In order for Courtown and Riverchapel to grow, the TCFP states that the imbalance in its annual population needs to be examined. According to the most up-to-date data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) there are around 7,500 permanent residents in the area and approximately 25,000 residents during the height of the summer holiday season.

“Courtown retains a high proportion of holiday and seasonal dwellings (caravan, mobile home, and holiday parks) which distorts housing occupancy and availability and creates challenges for service and infrastructure planning,” the plan reads. “Many homes are unoccupied outside summer months, while others have transitioned to year-round use without corresponding infrastructure upgrades.

"The need to better integrate this housing with the urban and coastal landscape and provide for better amenities and active travel connections to local services and attractions has been recognised in local planning policy for many years.”

Another frequently raised issue was the lack of a night-time and evening economy in Courtown.

“There is a clear need to expand local services and retail in the town centre to address leakage of activity and employment to other locations, such as Gorey,” the plan reads. “A lack of year-round economic anchors means that there are no major employers or locally developed knowledge based industries.

"Unemployment remains above the national average, and education attainment is relatively low. Economic diversification is essential to reduce overreliance on seasonal tourism, investment is needed in year-round employment sectors, including community services, health and social care, remote works hubs and enterprise supports.”

A deficit of GPs, dentists, and mental health services was also highlighted during the public consultation.

Having digested the contents of the plan, county councillors were of the opinion that its future rested upon one key project.

“The marina is the key here, you have to give people a reason to reopen that shop or that pub,” said Councillor Anthony Donohue who had concerns about housing delivery in the two villages. “One of the objectives of the plan is to repurpose holiday parks in the town centre for potential use, but anyone that has a holiday park is not going to turn that into residential because it’s too profitable.

"Even if that was to work we have no zoned land for residential use in Courtown or Riverchapel so I don’t see how that objective can be achieved.”

Noting that there was serviced land available in Riverchapel but that it wasn’t zoned for residential use, Cllr Pip Breen agreed that the marina was of paramount importance and that it, in tandem with the proposed hotel for Courtown, would determine the success of the TCFP.

Dr Conor Norton of Loci Urban Design Architecture & Planning has been working with WCC on the plan and he explained that the marina is included in the county development plan as a “statutory objective” and is therefore recognised as a project “in its own right”.

On the issue of zoning and housing development, Dr Norton referenced a recent case which was reviewed by the national planning authority.

“An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP) refused a housing scheme recently and one of the reasons was the lack of (wastewater) capacity, but with the TCFP we’re talking about 30 years hence,” he said. “This is about allowing the town centres, which are very small, to incrementally and naturally consolidate. In terms of the holiday parks it would be a matter for the market and viability.”

But where is the money going to come from? How will the plan be put into action?

“It needs investment,” admitted Mr McCormack. “But we have a strategic document now which we can produce when we apply for funding, this plan puts us at a competitive advantage when applying for these grants.”

Director of services Liz Hore agreed.

“We will not get funding if we don’t have a plan, this is our roadmap when applying for those grants.”