Wicklow Archives - Councillor Derek Mitchell

Mitchell demands Rail Strategy is revised to improve Wicklow Rail Service The draft All Island Rail Strategy ignored improvements needed to the Wicklow Rail Service. Cllr Derek Mitchell said ‘I have made a submission demanding improvements as the Wicklow Rail line has the worst service and is the only single track one in the Greater Dublin Area. The Council has also made a submission of similar points following my request. I hope the strategy is improved as the population is expanding rapidly ’. My 2018 rail plan provided a 3km…

The Wicklow Rail line to Kilcoole and Wicklow Town provides the worst service of any in the Greater Dublin Area. There are only 2 trains at rush hour, both short. I see that a Strategic Plan is to come before Cabinet, I am urging that a proper Plan is produced for these fast expanding towns. It makes more sense to get existing lines to work than to dream about lots of new lines in less populated places. There has been publicity about battery operated DARTs but no suggested Plan or…

Cllr Derek Mitchell asked Wicklow County Council to get experts to do a  Seaview Visual Impact Assessment on the detailed plans of the windfarm operators. The proposers will have to do one when they apply for permission to Bord Pleanala. However the visual impact will be worse in Greystones than any other place in Ireland because it will cover most of the horizon. An independent assessment, on behalf of the public, is vital with suggestions of how to reduce the impact while still generating carbon free electricity. This was supported…

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…