Funding gaps and bat concerns leave major north Wicklow sports masterplan without construction timeline

By Hugh O'Farrell Walsh, The Wicklow People

The masterplan, unanimously welcomed by district councillors promised a multi‑sport community hub with upgraded pitches, an all‑weather surface, running track, sand pitches, cycling connections and walking routes linking the wider area.

It followed a public consultation that drew more than 1,300 submissions reflecting strong local appetite for improved facilities even as views differed on whether adult exercise equipment should form part of the final design.

Despite that early momentum, the project’s progress has been slow. A bid to the department under the Large Scale Sporting Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) was unsuccessful in late 2024, a setback that affected not only Ballywaltrim but every garden county application.

The failure to secure LSSIF support was particularly damaging because phase two of the masterplan, the running track, carries an estimated cost of €1.2 million, a figure that would have been significantly offset had the application succeeded.

Instead, the council has been left to piece together smaller funding streams to keep the project moving.

In November 2024, the project received approximately €170,000 under the Community Sport Facilities Fund, money that was used to complete drainage works, including the construction of a cut‑off drain on Pitch No. 1.

While welcome, the grant fell short of the €250,000 to €300,000 needed to fully cover early stage delivery costs.

Ardmore players, managers, and families attending the recent public consultation at Ballywaltrim Community Centre.

Further phases also carry substantial price tags. Phase three, which includes cycle and BMX tracks, is estimated at around €200,000, with additional pitch upgrades expected to cost €120,000.

Phases four and five, still in development, are understood to include changing facilities and common exercise areas. Without major capital backing, the council has been forced to advance the project in smaller increments, focusing on preparatory work rather than construction.

By July 2026, the bulk of activity around Ballywaltrim remains in the planning and environmental assessment sphere.

Bray MD engineers are developing the documentation required to begin the Part 8 statutory consultation for the proposed Astro pitch and the regrading and levelling of Pitches 2 and 3.

Consultants have been appointed to carry out the appropriate assessment (AA) and environmental impact assessment screening (EIA). A draft AA screening report has been completed and is now under review by council officials.

One of the key issues emerging from that screening relates to bats in the Ballywaltrim Recreational Area. The consultant recommended that specialist lighting analysis be undertaken to determine whether the proposed floodlighting scheme could negatively affect local bat species.

As of July 2026, the council is still awaiting feedback from the lighting consultant, who has been tasked with assessing how impacts could be minimised and whether the design is ecologically acceptable.

The outcome of that assessment will influence the Part 8 process and could require further design changes before the project can advance.

The Ballywaltrim masterplan is not stalled, but it is progressing slowly, constrained by ecological requirements, incomplete funding and the need to complete statutory processes before any physical works can begin.