Report into Bray to Greystones Cliff Walk finds closure ‘has cost national economy tens of millions in lost revenue'
The report, by Jim Power, will be launched in Greystones Sailing Club at 4pm, on Tuesday, June 3, by the community group, Friends of the Cliff Walk.
Using national and international economic models, including Failte Ireland data, as well as information from local businesses, the report has found that the closure, now in its fifth year, has cost the national economy tens of millions of euro in lost revenue, with a corresponding negative financial impact on Wicklow, and on Greystones in particular.
The report also shows how the closure runs counter to Wicklow County Council's own policies and objectives, including access to a public right of way, as well as national goals relating to exercise, fitness and combatting obesity.
The report will be presented by Mr Power and the venue and surroundings (Greystones Marina with the Bray Head backdrop) make for a suitably photogenic setting for the launch.
Jim Power is economic advisor to the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation and a former advisor to both Bank of Ireland and Allied Irish Banks. He teaches at Dublin City University and the Smurfit Business School, and is a regular media commentator.
Meanwhile, an update was provided on the Cliff Walk at the May meeting of Greystones Municipal District, in which councillors heard that the tender process for a report into the trail, has hit a setback.
District manager Marc Devereux advised that because there was a query raised regarding that tender, that query has to be addressed, which resets the clock. While it was hoped that a successful consultant would have been awarded the tender for the report by now, the process has been delayed.
Wicklow County Council has two tenders out for the Cliff Walk: one for rockfall stabilisation works to the value of €500,000, and the second to the value of €80,000 for the engineering report.
The aim of tender process for the latter is to identify qualified experts to examine issues affecting the trail, and involves a number of key areas, including the condition of the Cliff Walk, the integrity of the rock face along Bray Head, and the identification of all points along the trail that are at risk of collapse.
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