The Bray to Greystones Cliff Walk Management Committee met on 1st September 2026.
During the meeting the Committee received a presentation from Tetra Tech Consultants Ltd which highlighted the project's progress to date.
The tendering process for a rope access contractor has now completed and a preferred contractor has been identified, pending formal appointment. Rope access inspections methodology, safe systems of work, method statements and risk assessments are underway.
Ecological surveys began on 8th May 2026, and the summer surveys have now been completed. Winter bird surveys are scheduled to commence in October. The proposed start date for these works is mid to late September, contingent upon the contractor's appointment.
Engagement with Iarnród Eireann regarding work near the railway tracks is ongoing and detailed.
The Committee members welcomed the progress made on the completion of the procurement process and the appointment of a rope access contractor to undertake detailed slope inspections, with continued positive engagement with NPWS and Iarnród Eireann to facilitate these inspections.
On the Greystones side, summer ecological surveys, which commenced in May, are complete and winter surveys are scheduled for October with the consent of the landowners.
Ongoing tasks include the selection and design of potential inland routes, which involve planning, environmental assessments, and engineering design.
This and the update from Wicklow County Council prompted extensive discussion and debate regarding potential shorter term options on the Greystones side, as well as inquiries about the planning status on both sides of the route. It was agreed to produce a flowchart for the Greystones side to illustrate the critical path of elements of the project. It was noted that the landowners are consistently engaging positively with Wicklow County Council and Tetra Tech and are facilitating access to the relevant lands.
Chairperson of the Committee, Councillor Erika Doyle, welcomed the progress to date and reiterated that the Committee is united in its aim of working with Wicklow County Council towards safely reopening the Cliff Walk.
She stated ‘Our monthly meetings continue to play an important role in overseeing and monitoring the complex work required to progress the Cliff Walk project and ensure that any future route is safe, sustainable, and protected for generations to come.
I fully appreciate the frustration caused by the length of the closure. The reason this process has taken so long is it is not simply a matter of designing and repairing a path. Much of the walk is within or adjacent to a Special Area of Conservation and a number of locations where the cliff and existing route have been identified as being at risk of failure. Any intervention therefore must take account of environmental, ecological, and planning requirements under both European directives and national legislation.
I recognise that 'complexity' and planning requirements can be frustrating explanations when people simply want to know when they can walk the Cliff Walk again. With several sections identified as being at risk of failure and further erosion continuing, reopening the existing route before it can be demonstrated to be safe would put the public at unacceptable risk.
As Chair of the Bray to Greystones Cliff Walk Management committee, I believe my responsibility and that of the Committee, is twofold- to ensure that the public understands why the process takes the time it does, and to continue to work with Wicklow County Council to ensure that the work being undertaken is focused on achieving a safe, viable and sustainable reopening of the Cliff Walk as soon as the necessary assessments, approvals and works are completed’.
Wicklow County Council remains committed to progressing with the project in a diligent, safe and environmentally sound manner and in the shortest possible timeframe.
The Cliff Walk remains closed due to the significant safety concerns. An alternative route is available.