Invitation to Submit Expressions of Interest to Sell Land
Landowners in the Greater Arklow & Environs Area are invited to submit expressions of interest to sell land to Wicklow County Council suitable for the development of a Municipal Cemetery.
Date Released: 30th March 2026
Invitation to Submit Expressions of Interest to sell land to Wicklow County Council (WCC) suitable for the development of a Municipal Cemetery.
1. Introduction
Wicklow County Council is seeking to establish a municipal cemetery that accommodates multiple faiths in a non-denominational setting to serve the growing needs of Arklow Municipal District and the wider County.
Expressions of Interest are invited from landowners with suitable land available for sale to the Council.
2. Expressions of Interest
Expressions of Interest must be made in writing, in a sealed envelope marked:
Municipal Cemetery
“Expressions of Interest for Sale of Land (Arklow & Environs Area)”
F.A.O. Cemeteries Team, CERA, County Buildings, Station Road, Wicklow Town A67 FW96
and must be received in Wicklow County Council’s offices by 4.00pm on Friday 1st May 2026
2.1 Submission Requirements:
All submissions should include the following information:
a) Details of Landowner:
- Name
- Address
- Contact details (phone & email)
b) Land Ownership Details,
c) Site location details, including site location map and site area. (min scale 1:2500),
d) Description of existing site conditions (Including ground conditions),
e) Any planning history for the lands,
f) Asking Price,
g) Date the land can be available from,
h) Details on how the land meets the suitability criteria as set out in Section 3 below.
3. Suitability Criteria
Proposed lands for sale must meet the following minimum criteria:
- Preferred size of the plot should be in the region of 4 to 8 acres.(Plots outside this range may also be considered based on other criteria.)
- Be reasonably level
- Have access to a land drainage outlet,
- Be suitable for digging or making good for grave digging,
- Be free from invasive plant species (such as Japanese Knotweed),
- Be within a reasonable distance of a public water supply,
- Be capable of being serviced by electricity supply and telecommunications,
- Have a minimum 5m wide access to the Regional or Local Road Network,
- Have a site entrance capable of achieving the minimum vision lines and entrance requirements set out in the ‘Wicklow County Development Plan 2022-2028 Appendix 1: Development & Design Standards”,
- Any purchase would be subject to obtaining Planning Permission for the required use,
- Be reasonably regular in shape,
- Be within a reasonable distance of existing St. Gabriel’s Cemetery.
4. Selection Criteria
When assessing submissions, Wicklow County Council will consider the following:
- Level of compliance to the Suitability Criteria above.
- The Council will set down a suitable scoring system to evaluate submissions under the criteria within this document or any further criteria it deems relevant to include at a later stage in the process.
- Proposed asking price. Should a submitted plot of land be considered suitable for purpose, the Council will arrange to have it independently and professionally valued before accepting the asking price or making an offer. The Council is under no obligation to accept any asking price prior to seeking an independent evaluation
5. Cost of Preparation of Submission
All costs and expenses incurred by Applicants relating to this submission and including any other costs, is to be considered as work at risk and no recovery of any costs from Wicklow County Council will be entertained.
Wicklow County Council have no financial liability prior to signing of the contract.
Applicants are advised not to make a submission if this condition is considered unacceptable.
6. Confidentiality
Wicklow County Council will use its best efforts to hold confidential the proposed asking price provided by submission / expression of interest subject to their obligation under law, including the Freedom of Information Act 1997 and 2003.
Wicklow County Council will consult with Applicants about sensitive information before making a decision on any FOI request received.
Similarly, Wicklow County Council requires that all information provided pursuant to this invitation will be treated in strict confidence.
The submission(s) / expression of interest(s) will be considered by Wicklow County Council staff and any site deemed potentially feasible may be discussed with the elected representatives in a public forum.
7. Irish Legislation
Applicants should be aware that national legislation applies in other matters such as Official Secrets, Data Protection and Health and Safety.
People making a submission must have regard to statutory terms relating to minimum pay and to legally binding industrial or sectoral agreements in preparing submissions.
8. Meetings
Wicklow County Council reserve the right to meet with people making the submission if considered necessary for the purposes of clarification of information received as part of the submission.
9. Conflict of Interest
Any conflict of interest or potential conflict of interest on the part of an Applicant, immediate/extended family, individual employees, agents, or subcontractors of an Applicant must be fully disclosed to Wicklow County Council as soon as the conflict or potential conflict is (or becomes) apparent.
In the event of any conflict or potential conflict of interest, Wicklow County Council may invite Applicants to propose means by which the conflict might be removed.
Wicklow County Council will, at its absolute discretion, decide on the appropriate course of action, which may, in appropriate circumstances, include eliminating an Applicant from the process.
10. Applicant Exclusion
An Applicant may be excluded if, to Wicklow County Council’s knowledge at the time of the decision, the Applicant has been convicted of an offence involving participation in a prescribed criminal organisation, corruption, fraud or money laundering.
An applicant may be excluded if the Applicant:
- is subject to a bankruptcy or insolvency procedure or process of a kind specified in Regulation 53, paragraph (5) of the European Communities (Award of Public Authorities’ Contracts) Regulations 2006 or
- has been found guilty of professional misconduct by a competent authority that is authorised by law to hear and determine allegations of professional misconduct against persons that include the Applicant or
- has committed grave professional misconduct provable by means that the Wicklow County Council can demonstrate or
- has not fulfilled an obligation to pay a social security contribution as required by a law of Ireland or the country or territory where the Applicant ordinarily resides or carries on business or
- has not fulfilled an obligation to pay a tax or levy imposed by or under a law of Ireland or the country or territory where the Applicant ordinarily resides or carries on business or
- has provided a statement or information to Wicklow County Council or another such authority knowing it to be false or misleading or has failed to provide to Wicklow County Council or another such authority a statement or information that is reasonably required by Wicklow County Council or other authority for the purpose of making the decision concerned.
11. Queries
Queries can be made to the Cemeteries Team via email to cemeteries@wicklowcoco.ie Any queries that give rise to any new information or clarification may be issued to all applicants, depending on relevance. The identity of the Applicant who raised the initial query shall not be disclosed to other interested parties.
12. Contract
Subject to contract/contract denied, the acceptance of any proposal(s) by Wicklow County Council shall be subject to the final negotiation and agreement of satisfactory terms of contract with the Applicant(s) and subject to availability of funding.