€1.16m spent on Wicklow park-and-ride as construction start date remains unclear
The Wicklow PeopleFresh concerns have been raised over the future of key park-and-ride projects in Wicklow, after it emerged that more than €1.16 million has already been spent on the proposed Ashford-Rathnew facility, despite uncertainty over when construction will begin.
In a response to a parliamentary question submitted by Sinn Féin TD Brady, the NTA confirmed that Wicklow County Council purchased the site for the proposed facility using NTA grant funding at a cost of approximately €950,000.
The authority said overall expenditure to date has reached around €1.16 million, covering land acquisition, professional fees, planning and design work, site investigations and costs associated with the statutory planning process.
The revelation comes amid growing frustration among elected representatives over what they see as a lack of progress on several park-and-ride schemes intended to ease congestion along the N11 and M11 corridors.
Members of Wicklow County Council’s Transport Strategic Policy Committee recently voiced concerns over delays to planned facilities at Ashford and Kilpedder.
Five councillors, Orla Finn, Shane Langrell, Joe Behan, Danny Alvey and Stephen Stokes, have jointly called for urgent clarification from the NTA regarding the future of the projects.
Speaking on behalf of the group, committee chairperson Cllr Stokes said councillors were willing to work with the NTA to revive the projects and ensure they move forward.
The councillors argue that the park-and-rides are vital if the county is to reduce traffic congestion and encourage greater use of public transport.
Left to right: Cllr Orla Finn, Cllr Stephen Stokes, Cllr Danny Alvey, Cllr Joe Behan. © Cllr Stephen Stokes
They say residents are repeatedly being told to embrace more sustainable travel options, but need practical alternatives if that ambition is to become reality.
Particular concern has centred on the proposed Kilpedder park-and-ride.
Originally envisaged as a 600-space development, the project was later reduced to 380 spaces. Councillors now fear it may have been abandoned, although no formal announcement has been made regarding its future.
Meanwhile, hopes that the Ashford-Rathnew project could be delivered in the near future have also faded.
The park-and-ride secured planning approval through the Part 8 process and was approved by Wicklow County Council in March 2025. At the time it was expected to provide 210 parking spaces and was projected to become operational by the final quarter of 2026.
Cllr Alvey noted that both district councillors in Wicklow and the full county council had backed the proposal. He said council officials had since informed the transport committee that the NTA currently has no funding available from government to advance the project.
Cllr Alvey described the situation as extremely disappointing, particularly given the role the facility could play in reducing pressure on one of the country’s busiest transport routes.
Adding to local frustration is the situation at Fassaroe near Bray, where an €11 million park-and-ride facility was completed during the first quarter of 2026, but remains unused as there is no funding for bus services.
The NTA has stated that funding available under the revised National Development Plan and the Department of Transport’s Sectoral Investment Plan means it cannot advance all park-and-ride projects at the pace previously anticipated.
The authority has indicated that construction of the Ashford-Rathnew facility is unlikely to begin in 2027, although its capital budget for that year has not yet been finalised.