New Wicklow outdoor recreation strategy to protect nature and boost access for all
The Wicklow PeopleWicklow County Council has signed off on a new five-year outdoor recreation strategy that aims to balance the growing demand for adventure and leisure activities with the protection of the county’s renowned natural landscape.
The plan — which runs until 2030 — sets out priorities for maintaining and improving trails, enhancing access for all users, supporting local businesses, and preserving the heritage and environment that make the “Garden County” a leading outdoor destination.
During the public consultation process there were two in-person meetings, in west Wicklow and Newtownmountkennedy, with an extensive online consultation receiving 1,200 responses.
One-on-one consultation sessions with relevant landowners also took place in recent months, alongside meetings with Coillte, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the local authority. Submissions were also received from Mountaineering Ireland, Leave No Trace, and the Wicklow Uplands Council.
During a presentation to county councillors at their October monthly meeting, Aisling Hubbert from the Wicklow Local Sports Partnership, alongside her colleague Carol Coad, outlined some of the feedback they received during the consultation period.
“42pc of residents in Wicklow were part of the online survey, which is a positive to see,” she said. “The rest were from Dublin, Wexford and Kildare, our surrounding counties. There was representation from all age ranges, significantly about 35 to 55 age range was the highest.
“In terms of what people wanted to see included in this new plan, there were some key things that emerged. The top things were protecting our environment, taking care of the heritage, the culture that is within in the county and not using outdoor recreation that might impede that, and maintenance came up as well.
“Trails such as the Wicklow Way, and the Sugarloaf get such high levels of usage that we really need to focus on maintenance of those sites, instead of getting to a point where we have to close these trails, or we have to divert people around.”
The plan has six strategic objectives.
• Leadership To maintain a co-ordinated, cohesive approach across Wicklow to ensure best use of our resources
• Environment and heritage To protect Wicklow’s environment and heritage through better planning, development and management of outdoor recreation
• Awareness To increase awareness of Wicklow’s outdoor recreation opportunities and how to enjoy them responsibly
• Access To protect, diversify and enhance access to Wicklow’s outdoors, for the benefit of all
• Expertise To improve the knowledge, skills, and expertise of Wicklow’s stakeholders and partners
Ms Coad believes these objectives are the best way to implement the new plan.
“Outdoor recreation has exploded over the last 20 years,” she said. “There are so many more people involved. It's come out of a niche little activity right into the mainstream. But often the businesses behind it, the providers in the area, the people trying to manage it as a resource, the structures haven't been in place to bring them along at the same pace, and that's going to be a key piece of delivering everybody's Outdoor Recreation Plan across the country.
“Our piece here in Wicklow is to make sure that we equip people to run their business in a way that delivers for Wicklow, delivers for them and delivers for the environment.”
Following the presentation, councillors praised the aims of the new strategy with Cllr Erika Doyle singling out the approach.
“You’re asking what's wanted and what's needed,” she said. “And I love the low impact approach as well. It's not what can we do to the county or what can we develop. It is first and foremost let's use what we have.
“We're in the Garden County. We all know the things that we have here. How can we use them but not in a way of use that takes something from it or removes it or damages it but works very much with the natural aspects that we have, and I think that that's very visible here.
“The strategic priority statement very much speaks to that as well and I think that has been very carefully worded and I think it is really good.”
Cllr Danny Alvey also echoed those sentiments.
“I think it is fantastic that we are focusing on the diversification of what we have and not in the overdevelopment of new trails. We have quite a lot of trails in the Wicklow uplands, and it is something we must be careful to manage. Probably more so than other counties because we have a high volume of visitors from Dublin coming down to the Wicklow Mountains.
“That is a welcome element of the plan, as well as looking to make a dedicated accessible woodland for people with disabilities.”
Following a question from Cllr Peter Stapleton on the maintenance of existing infrastructure, Ms Coad said they are always looking for funding to help maintain these facilities.
“One of the requests we put into the Department was that every project should come with a 10pc extra cushion for maintenance. So, if we get 1.3 million, which is what I hope we will get this year, that we get another 130 grand for maintenance for the lifetime of those projects over a five-year period.
“Will they give us that? I don't know. But we will keep beating the drum and 18 looking for it.”
Following a query from Cllr Patsy Glennon about the future development of a woodland area in Hollywood, Ms Coad indicated that discussions are ongoing with Coillte.
“The licence agreement is all done with Coillte. So aside from putting the stuff on the ground, all the paperwork and all the screening is complete there. We got that approved the year before last and it's in the pipeline, but it has been a little bit slow to deliver.”
Meanwhile, Cllr Sylvester Bourke asked about the prospect of having more facilities in Arklow.
“I was just wondering what can you do to help us in Arklow to try to get approval that we could actually say, yes, we have achieved something here that can rival, say, the Shoreline running track in Greystones, because it's an increasingly popular sport, running and athletics, and we're not serving the people of Arklow well by not providing a proper running track.
“Many people are getting injuries now. They’re complaining they have to go to physiotherapy because for intensive training you have to have a really good quality track. And that is an issue I am identifying and asking for help with.”
In response Ms Hubbert acknowledged that the area can’t be left behind.
“I know the sports benefit was awarded to the running track in Arklow. It wasn't sufficient to do the works that they had planned, but I know the municipal district aren't finished it yet. I know a master plan is being developed for that area. It is one of the biggest potentials in the county for that kind of sports piece.”
The plan has now been adopted after the 2013-2019 strategy largely focused on infrastructure, while the 2020-2025 strategy consolidated existing infrastructure, and added new facilities to fully resource the county in an environmentally responsible manner.