Call for national oversight on how new housing sites are identified in Wicklow
The Wicklow PeopleGreystones councillors have unanimously called for greater national oversight of the process used to identify land for new housing in Wicklow.
The move highlights their increasing concerns about how sites are being chosen and pushed forward for development in the district.
The motion, adopted at their July monthly meeting urges Housing Minister James Browne to intervene to ensure that already zoned and permitted land in the area is delivered before any additional sites identified through the call for sites are progressed.
It also seeks guarantees that essential infrastructure will be provided in tandem with new housing, reflecting growing unease among councillors about the pace and direction of development in one of the county’s fastest‑growing areas.
The motion is rooted in the fallout from last month’s tense exchanges at Wicklow County Council, where Greystones representatives said they were blind-sided by the discovery that the chief executive could independently advance sites to Stage II assessment even where councillors had recommended against them.
That revelation, which councillors said they learned from landowners rather than the executive, triggered a wider debate about transparency, communication and the balance of power between elected members and senior officials.
It also sharpened concerns about the volume of land already zoned for housing in Greystones and the slow rate at which much of it is being delivered.
Against that backdrop, the motion sets out a clear political position. It notes that 76 hectares of land in the district is already zoned, with active planning permission on most of it, and asks the minister to confirm whether he will ensure this land is developed before further land is zoned.
It also highlights that the most recent Local Area Plan zoned 36 hectares of land, and seeks clarity on what the Department is doing to ensure this land is delivered “in a timely fashion” rather than being shelved in favour of new sites emerging from the call for sites process.
The councillors argue that the current housing crisis demands a focus on delivering homes and community infrastructure on land already zoned and permitted, rather than expanding the development footprint while existing capacity remains unused.
The motion goes further by demanding a commitment that the infrastructure needed to support large scale housing development will be delivered at the same pace as the housing itself. It lists school places, healthcare facilities, additional Dart capacity, playing facilities, community resource centres and other social infrastructure as essential components that must accompany any new development.
This reflects long-standing concerns in Greystones about pressure on local services, with councillors repeatedly warning that the area’s schools are full, healthcare provision is limited, and transport capacity is stretched. The motion argues that without parallel investment in these services, further zoning risks exacerbating congestion and undermining quality of life.
The motion is the formal expression of that position. While it does not challenge the chief executive’s statutory powers, it seeks to place political pressure on the Department to ensure that existing commitments are honoured.
The chief executive’s report, due in September, will set out the sites recommended for progression and will mark the point at which the process enters the statutory phase, where councillors have full decision-making authority.