Property owners to be asked to sell land to help reopen Bray to Greystones Cliff Walk

By Hugh O'Farrell Walsh, The Wicklow People

Members of the Bray to Greystones Cliff Walk management committee have been told that property owners are to be asked if they would consider selling land to the council to help reroute and reopen the trail.

The meeting, which took place on Wednesday, came after a vote on Monday at the monthly meeting of Wicklow County Council to exclude members of the media from attending the committee's meetings. The following evening it was revealed that Sport Ireland has nominated an "outdoor recreation expert" to join the group.

At the first meeting of the expanded Cliff Walk committee in January, the members unanimously agreed to invite the press to future meetings to ensure transparency. However, Wicklow County Council officials later intervened, advising that this was against standard committee protocol.

When the issue was brought to a full Wicklow County Council meeting this past Monday, most of the councillors present (13) voted to prevent journalists from attending, heeding the advice of the director of services Leonora Earls.

In her position as chair, Cllr Erika Doyle expressed her need to remain impartial.

“I have people contacting me all the time saying that they are sick hearing about it, they're sick hearing about the circus that seems to be attached to it, they want to hear about the work that is being done.

“I don't involve myself in the circus, I try and stick to the work that's being done. Out of respect for my fellow colleagues here who are concerned about hearing second-hand versions ahead of any official communication I completely empathise.

“I think I have no choice if there is a vote on this, but to abstain as chair of that committee,” she added.

Cllr Paul O’Brien expressed his desire that these meetings are held in private.

“We keep hearing for the last number of years about how our powers are being diminished and how we're not getting the feedback that we should be getting back. Now we're going to devolve it again to reading articles in the paper. So rather than hearing back what could be inaccurate information I think we should wait and get the accurate information.”

These feelings were echoed by his district colleague Cllr Gail Dunne.

“I think the councillors should know what is going on before anybody else. And we will be asked questions at some stage, and if the media know what they're asking, and we don't know what they're talking about that is a problem.”

However, Cllr Tom Fortune said he had no problem with the proposal.

“I for the life of me can't understand what the issue is. This is a very public issue. It's out there, everyone is talking about it. And I think it is constructive and transparent to have the media there.”

Before the discussion ended Cllr Malachai Duddy said the media have a right to report on work of the committee.

“I don't see how councillors who aren't members of that committee could learn about it any sooner. It may be appearing in local media or commentary, but I think it is very important that the media have access to that committee. And it was certainly a unanimous decision of the councillors who sit on that that committee that that would be the case.”

In response to the ban, community reps on the committee have signalled they will try to provide their own informal reports to the public online, with Peter Murtagh from the Friends of the Cliff Walk taking on the task this week.

At that meeting on Wednesday, committee members were told that the local authority is to contact property owners on the Greystones side of Bray Head to see if they are willing to sell some of their land so that the trail can be rerouted and officially reopened.

The committee received a presentation from consultants RPS which focused on the route options on the Greystones side and a progress update on detailed slope investigations and methodology required for the Bray side.

The members also received a report which examined the possibility of early reopening of the Cliff Walk by the council, by advising the public of the risks and the actions they should take themselves to mitigate these risks.

The report highlighted the benefits of a council protocol for monitoring, inspection and enhanced advice to the public.

According to a summary of the discussion published by Mr Murtagh on social media, the meeting was reminded that the best solution to problems besetting the walk on the Greystones side was to move it inland.

Legal advice sought by the council stated that a full assessment of risk must be carried out and until officials are satisfied that they are not permitting an unacceptable safety risk for users of the Cliff Walk, the amenity should remain closed.

It’s also reported that during the meeting Cllr Doyle said having St Patrick’s Day as a target date for reopening was "unhelpful".

Bray district manager Jackie Carroll, a director of services with Wicklow County Council said that March 17 "is out there and it may not be achievable".

In a statement on Thursday, Wicklow County Council said they will initiate talks with landowners regarding the Greystones rerouting and will hire a specialist to investigate unstable slopes, pending methodology confirmation from RPS and environmental reviews

A taskforce set up in 2024 by Tánaiste and local TD Simon Harris led to the appointment of RPS, and the subsequent reconstituting of the Bray Head committee to include community representatives, including Friends of the Cliff Walk, to oversee the implementation of the RPS report.

The Friends of the Cliff Walk group has been vocal in their frustration over recent months, suggesting that the council is using protocol to avoid public scrutiny over the slow pace of work and the €70 million plus estimated loss to the local economy.

It emerged on Tuesday night at the monthly meeting of Bray councillors that Sport Ireland has nominated an “outdoor recreation expert” to sit on the Cliff Walk management committee.

Controversy arose at last month's meeting when Cllr Behan proposed that someone from the long-established community group Bray Coast Care be nominated to join the committee. This was opposed by Cllr Caroline Winstanley, who suggested instead that Sport Ireland be asked to nominate someone.

A split vote on the two options was decided by the chair, Cllr Doyle, who sided with Sport Ireland.

After that meeting, Sport Ireland indicated to independent.ie that the organisation had not been asked to engage with the process and that if it was, it would decline such an invitation, citing a conflict of interest and declining to comment further.

While Sport Ireland is a major stakeholder in national recreation, they have since said that they declined the invitation as they view the Cliff Walk primarily as a public infrastructure and engineering challenge rather than a purely sporting or recreational project at this stage.

They said they often prefer to come on board once a trail is established and safe for promotion, rather than being involved in the technical remediation and discussions over land and safety.

Upon learning that Sport Ireland had said they would decline an invitation to sit on the committee, Cllr Behan said at Tuesday’s council meeting that he wished to proceed with the nomination of a representative from Bray Coast Care.

In response, Ms Carroll said that on January 27, she wrote to Sport Ireland. She challenged the independent.ie report, suggesting that the wrong question was asked.

Her ask of Sport Ireland on January 27, she maintained, was that the organisation "nominate an outdoor representative", rather than someone who works for Sport Ireland.

"I do have a nomination from Sport Ireland and will be able to give details in a week or so," said Ms Carroll.

Cllr Behan, who is a member of the Cliff Walk committee, said he found this latest development “unbelievable.”

“Someone has been nominated but we don't know who they are," he added.

Cllr Duddy, who is also on the committee said he was "dumbfounded".

"It is quite clear that a body [Sport Ireland] was asked to nominate [someone to the committee] without consent," he said, adding he was "amazed" a nomination had been made without knowing who the person is.

Ms Carroll said the decision to turn to Sport Ireland "was made democratically" and "it's not about putting one person over another. I am following due process".

Cllr Doyle confirmed they were looking for an "outdoor recreation expert".