The Draft County Development Plan for Wicklow 2010-2016 is on display in County Buildings, Wicklow until 5pm on December 23rd 2009 and on www.wicklow.ie . Submissions can be made before that time to Wicklow County Council in accordance with details available on the website and in the council offices.
The following extract concerns Brittas Bay.
Cell 9 Brittas Bay
The cell consists of the coastal area between the R750 and the coast, from the boundary of Cell 8 to Mizen Head/
Ardinairy. This area for the most part comprises an agricultural area, with notable pockets of more intense
development around Ballynacarrig (Brittas Bay), Brittas Bridge and Cornagower and a significant number of single
rural houses. Ballynacarrig is designated a ‘small village’ in the County settlement strategy.
The centrepiece of this area is Brittas Bay beach, a sandy beach that is 4 km long, backed by 100 hectares of sand
dunes. Development pressure resulting from the popularity of the area as a tourist and day-tripper destination
during the summer months has resulted in the development of a number of caravan parks / holiday home
developments and has created problems relating to traffic and parking. The Council has developed two large car
parks in an attempt to alleviate some of these traffic problems.
The Buckroney-Brittas Dunes and Fen is designated a cSAC and pNHA.
Objective CZ9
1. To facilitate the enhancement of recreational amenities and facilities in the cell to cater for day visitors and
long stay holiday makers to the extent that it is consistent with maintaining the capacity of the cell (including
its beach and bathing water quality, sand dunes, car parks and road network) and in a manner that does
not diminish its unique rural, scenic and recreational amenities.
2. No development will be permitted that has an adverse impact on the environmental and ecological quality
of the pNHA, cSAC or Vulnerable Aquifer designations in the area. The Planning Authority will have particular
regard to the impact that all developments have on the integrity of a cSAC, including development that is
within a cSAC and development that is not within a designated area, but which is likely to have an effect
thereon. Applicants will be required to demonstrate beyond all reasonable doubt that a proposed development
does not, beyond all reasonable doubt, adversely impact on the integrity of a designated area.
3. To protect, conserve and encourage the recovery of the beach-dune system at Brittas Bay. Development
that results in the erosion of the beach-dune system will not be permitted. In this respect, the Council will
particularly ensure protection against erosion caused by amenity and recreational use of the dunes. Regard
will be paid to the ‘Wicklow County Council Brittas Bay Monitoring Project 2004’.
4. Development that is detrimental to the quality or amenity of heritage features will not be permitted, including
views and prospects, archaeological features, protected trees/structures.
5. To strictly control the further proliferation of sea outfalls for effluent discharge and in particular to prohibit
short sea outfalls. All effluent discharges should be in compliance with the EU Bathing Water Directive. Any
development that compromises the Blue Flag status of the beach will not be permitted.
6. To facilitate the development of appropriate outdoor and indoor recreation in the cell by permitting the use
of its rural hinterland for environmentally sensitive and sustainable recreational purposes, where buildings
and structures have only a minor impact on the landscape and where the completion of landscaping
schemes would assimilate such developments into the countryside (e.g. golf, pitch and putt, amenity
forestry, paint ball games, adventure fun parks).
7. All services and facilities to serve the local community and tourists shall be located within the boundaries
of Ballynacarrig Village. Notwithstanding this, one small-scale local service type development shall be
considered in proximity to the South Beach car park. The development may comprise a shop/service
garage/pub/restaurant/café development. The maximum floor area of the development shall be 200m².
Volume 1 Chapter 18 CoasPtaagl eZ 1one Management Page 212
Wicklow Draft County Development Plan 2010 – 2016
8. To facilitate the development of new tourist accommodation subject to the following controls:-
(a) New tourist accommodation shall be directed into one of the three identified development clusters of
Ballynacarrig Village, Brittas Bridge and Cornagower (as shown on Map 18.03), or to existing developed
sites. Only in exceptional circumstances, and where the following criteria are complied with, will
accommodation be considered on a greenfield site outside a cluster:
(i) the development shall be located in close proximity to the identified clusters and shall have
or be provided with direct and high quality connections to the clusters and to the coast;
(ii) the development shall be of an exceptionally high quality design.
(b) Permission will only be considered for new accommodation where the development forms part of a well
developed, integrated tourism and recreation development, which would add to the public amenity and
enjoyment of the area and provides a significant public element (e.g. public car parking, playground /
indoor playzone, swimming pool open to paying public etc).
(c) The development of any new static or touring caravan parks shall be prohibited; expansion of existing
facilities will be considered subject the suitability of the site, a modest scale and high quality design.
(d) The development of any further holiday homes shall be prohibited, other than a small scale element of
which may be allowable in an integrated development that provides a range of accommodation types.
(e) Automated gates will not be permitted on any development.
9. To limit the size of existing public car parks to the present levels and to support the development of additional
car parking on the inland side of the road at Cornagower East.
10. To strictly control the development of new entrances and access driveways on the R750 to those which can
be proven to be necessary for either traffic safety reasons or the normal functioning of the landholding.
11. To control and limit the development of permanent rural housing to that shown to be strictly necessary (in
accordance with the County settlement and rural development strategies) and to require the highest
standards of siting and design for any new dwelling and regard to environmental designations
Brittas Bay Coast Care 