Key areas for recovery cited by councillors
Wednesday March 03 2010
SEVERAL KEY areas were identified by councillors as areas of particular importance in terms of economic development.
Cllr. Simon Harris suggested that Wicklow County Council needed to consider setting up an economic think tank like that currently in Bray. He welcomed the news that the IDA were actively looking for people to locate on part of their site in Greystones but wondered if there was any funding for the Greystones Sewerage Scheme to increase its capacity.
Cllr. John Ryan who as chairman of Bray Town Council was a driving force behind the establishment of the economic think tank in the town said that there had been no recommendations yet but hoped it would turn out to be very beneficial to the town.
He said that the lack of an M50 upgrade to Wicklow was a problem for the county as was the single rail track system in the county.
He also felt that Bray town had a bad image and the council needed to address the image of Wicklow as a whole and suggested hiring a PR agency to promote the county more effectively and attractively.
He also spoke of his disappointment that Bray was still without an enterprise centre and said the council should make the establishment of such a centre a priority.
Cllr. Barry Nevin said one of the major problems facing the council was the fact 'we don't have any public lands in our ownership in North Wicklow and Bray. I know funding is a problem but could we look at a public private partnership.'
Cllr. John Snell said the Port Access Tunnel was too little too late. 'The Port Access Road as beautiful as it is set us back € 65 million. But it has definitely come too late for the people of Wicklow and the surrounding areas. It should have been done eight or ten years ago.
' It is only going to benefit one or two companies up there.'
Cllr. Pat Fitzgerald said that he felt it was 'ridiculous you had to be 50 weeks unemployed before you can start on a Community Enterprise scheme. Many people want to work on these schemes but are being told they are not eligible'.
High business costs are hampering job creation according to Cllr. Derek Mitchell who said that he felt the council should reduce their rates. Cllr. Edward Timmins said ' to make the council more business friendly we need to change our mindset and start thinking in a more progressive manner'.
