Community Concerns - Courtown/Riverchapel

Courtown Community Council
Registered Charity No. 20043414
courtowncommunitycouncil32@gmail.com

Community Concerns - Courtown/Riverchapel

Courtown Community Council Committee (CCC) :

Linda Sinnott, Clair Swinburne, Valerie Boylan, Melanie Croce, Jeshua Taucher, Craig Lang

Recent Achievements in conjunction with Wexford County Council (WCC):

   •   Collaboration with Rory O’Mahony - Wexford Walking Trails (WWT) Slí Charman
       Rehabilitation o Completion of Burrow Road to Kiltennel section of the
           Walking Trail. Official WWT signage soon to be installed.
           o Monitoring/Reporting/Maintenance of this walk and the Courtown Woods Trails.
   •   Collaboration with Michael Drea, Amanda Byrne and Liz Stanley regards completing the
       Pier Enhancement Plan and the recently awarded Riverchapel Linked Walkway.
           o This included securing letters of support from 14 local Community Groups.
   •   Collaboration with Eamon Doran - National Parks and Wildlife Service, Rory O'Mahony
       WWT, Maura Higgins and Micheal Drea WCC on the future management of our proposed
       Natural Heritage Areas in Courtown.
   •   Established protocols on reporting procedures with our designated Community Warden
       and Local Garda Sergeant.
   •   Won second place in the Best Coastal Management Initiative in the Keep Wexford
       Beautiful Environmental Awards.

Other Achievements

   •   Updated the CCC Constitution.
   •   Held our Virtual AGM in September 2020.
   •   Various meetings with local stakeholders, An Garda Siochana, WCC, Tidy Towns Groups
       etc.
   •   Well on the road to completing our Governance Code Compliance as per Charities
       Regulator Guidelines.
   •   Secured sponsorship from SSE Renewables for a coin operated Tourist Telescope.
       Many thanks to the Council for their contribution towards the Telescope.

•   Design of our e-commerce website, due to launch shortly.
   •   Proposed Visitor Centre Plan for Courtown Harbour to generate community income
       during the busy tourist season and to provide a social space for local people during the
       quieter off season.

Summary of Current Concerns:

COURTOWN LEISURE CENTRE & COURTOWN WOODS

We have received a number of queries in relation to the future of Courtown Leisure Centre and
Courtown Woods. Locals and visitors alike are concerned about any significant changes to either
of these popular amenities. They want assurances that the Leisure Centre will reopen as soon as
possible under recommended Covid guidelines. They also want assurances that Courtown
Woods, which falls within the designated proposed Natural Heritage Area, retain free and open
access to the public all year round. We also ask that no commercial development takes place
within any of our protected pNHAs including lands adjacent owned by Coillte. Seal Rescue
Ireland, who have representatives on CCC, are also deeply concerned about their future in
Courtown due to these uncertainties. Their hospital and education centre operate on a rented
site located within the grounds of the Leisure Centre.

COMPLETION OF GOREY TO COURTOWN FOOTPATH & NEW FOOTBRIDGE

While we appreciate the councils efforts on the project to date, we have concerns about the final
remaining section(s) of this footpath and proposed new footbridge. The Brickyard Hill through to
Courtown Woods remains one of the finest examples of mature woodland estates in Ireland.
Mature estate trees lie adjacent to the R742 which were planted 150 years ago by Lord
Courtown. These mature trees must be preserved wherever possible. The Gate Lodge,
Ballinatray Bridge and the High Cross of Kilbride are all protected structures of national
importance. The lower section of the Brickyard Hill is home to a vast array of wildlife. Mature
woodland trees house a large roost of crows and there are regular sightings of birds of prey,
bats, pheasants, woodpeckers, squirrels, kingfishers, herons, otters, badgers and foxes.

For these reasons we are seeking a full Environmental Impact Assessment within this area. We
are also asking WCC to consult with local residents.

RIVERCHAPEL COMMUNITY CENTRE/HUB

   •   Funding for finalising the Riverchapel Community Centre/Hub needs to be prioritised as a
       matter of urgency.

SEAL RESCUE IRELAND

   •   We would like assurances that Seal Rescue Ireland will continue to be accommodated in
       Courtown with a long-term lease and a larger site.

COAST GUARD STATION

   •   Our local Coast Guard Unit which trains 23 local volunteers requires a suitable site on
       which to build a new Coast Guard Station.

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS

In 1999, The Irish Times ran an piece on Courtown with the headline:
        "A traditional holiday village is being turned into an environmental slum"
        https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.irishtimes.com/culture/atraditionalholidayvillageisbeingtur
        ned-into-an-environmental-slum-1.197500%3fmode=amp

In the 22 years since this article was written, the residents of Courtown/Riverchapel have lived
with the consequences of these intensive developments without a sufficient infrastructure in
place. Ocean Point - a development consisting of 38 apartments and commercial units located in
the middle of Courtown village, lay empty and boarded up for most of those intervening years.

We are asking Wexford County Council to safeguard the future of Courtown/Riverchapel by
learning from past mistakes. When considering future developments within our community, we
would like the following criteria to be considered:

   •   Is it low impact?
   •   Is it sustainable?
   •   Is it in scale?
   •   Is it sympathetic to the environment?
   •   Does it negatively impact local residents?
   •   Does it negatively impact protected areas?
   •   Does it comply with the Local Area Plan?
   •   How does it serve the community?
   •   How does it benefit the local economy?

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff of Wexford County Council and the Local
Councillors that have taken the time to send messages of support to our new Committee. We are
committed to establishing a positive working relationship with the Council moving forward. The
Courtown and Riverchapel area requires considerable volunteer and council effort to ensure that
the next phase of development of our local community is a positive one.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Courtown Community Council

                         Proposed National Heritage Areas (pNHAs)