Wicklow Archives - Councillor Derek Mitchell

Wicklow Council spends the 3rd lowest amount per person of all Councils. Partly this is because Councils with the fastest expanding population get little extra funds, However there is a complex calculation which effectively  has taken the Property Tax from the new homes and paid it to Central Government. This Baseline calculation is being reviewed now and Cllr Derek Mitchell has made a submission to adjust the calculation so Wicklow gets to keep all the LPT. Much more funding is needed to support the new residents who are living at…

Councillors voted 23 to 9 to leave the LPT the same as last year. This is to include funds of €208,000 for footpath repairs and Public Realm improvements for each Municipal District. This is a fair way, based on population, of splitting funding unlike the main budget where Greystones receives a very small share. This is funded by the 6%, over base rate of the LPT, the same as last year. The average LPT is expected to decrease €5 to €360 next year. I am also asking that some funding…

The recent road funding announcement showed no funding for this much needed scheme. I enquired and found that it was decided in December to ‘Suspend’ it but it wasn’t announced. This scheme is vital to Wicklow residents and industry. When traffic returns to pre Covid levels it will be chaotic as many more houses have been built in the past 2 years and Cherrywood will have many new residents. Also the bus priority scheme, which is to go as far South as the Glenview Junction on the N11 has been…

Wicklow County Council will be holding its Annual Budget meeting on the 29th November and for the first time in 20 years a Councillor I will not be supporting it. The other areas, Arklow, West, Brays budgets are €9m each, Greystones District is €4.5m. The population of each area is similar. Each other area has 2 or 3 times as many staff. Yet the Local Property Tax income is highest in Greystones due to higher house prices. It’s being used as a Cash Cow by the rest of the County….

The Greater Dublin Transport Strategy 2022-2042 has been launched for consultation on the 9th November. The proposals are wide ranging include Wicklow items: The DART+ project will provide 50% more DARTs to Greystones before 2030. This follows on from my 2018 paper, on how to do it, and is being designed in detail. Consultation on the design is expected in 2022. DART to Wicklow Town will be later, possibly by battery operated DARTs which are to be ordered this year. LUAS to Bray & Environs is included. Park n’ Ride…