Councillors on Wicklow County Council recently voted to allow Bray Town Council to make the Order. The order will then have to be referred to an Bord Pleanala and go out for public consultation.

According to Green Party councillor, Deirdre de Burca, the achievement of an SAAO for Bray Head was one of the key objectives of Green Party councillors when they were elected onto Bray Town Council. She says that much credit must go to her colleague, Cllr Ciaran o Brien, who did much of the important background work in preparing the SAAO along with planners from Bray Town Council.

“An SAAO is a special planning designation to protect areas that have a high amenity value” says de Burca. “Achieving an SAAO for Bray Head has been an objective of Bray Town Council and Wicklow County Council for the past 20 years”. She says that an SAAO status will give Bray Head recognition as a local and nationally important amenity area.

Green Party councillor Ciaran o Brien says that the SAAO will enhance Bray Head by promoting it as an important recreational and educational resource and that it will ensure clear management policies for Bray Head. He says that the SAAO designation is essential for Bray Head given the massive development pressures that exist in the Bray area.

Cllr Caroline Burrell welcomed Wicklow County Council’s decision in relation to the SAAO. “It is over a year now since Bray Town Councillors unanimously agreed to progress the SAAO for Bray Head in order to protect it from inappropriate development” she says. “It is good to see Wicklow County Council finally give its approval for the Order and we hope to move quickly now to seeing it fully implemented so that Bray head will have strong protection into the future”.

For further information please contact

Cllr Deirdre de Burca on 086 - 806 1450

Cllr Ciaran O'Brien on 087 - 206 0223

Cllr Caroline Burrell on 086 - 314 0453