Wicklow Sinn Féin public representatives have expressed delighted at the approval by the Courts Service to approve the transfer of the Old Bray Courthouse on the Boghall Road in Bray to Wicklow County Council for community use.
Deputy Brady said “A formal request had recently been made by Wicklow County Council to the Courts Service for the former Bray District Courthouse. This request has now been approved and the legal process of transferring the old Courthouse to the Council has now begun. The law departments of the council and the Courts Service have now commenced work on the transfer, and it’s hopped that work will be complete in the first half of the new year.”
“This is a fantastic result for the community and once the process is complete the new center will be a fantastic community asset.
“The building on the Boghall Road in Bray has been vacant since 2006, when court sittings and services were relocated to alternative accommodation in the town center. In October 2020 the Courts Service informed me that the old Bray Court House was surplus to their requirements and that they were willing to transfer it to Wicklow County Council.”
“I’m delighted that the campaign has been so successful in getting to this stage. The next step will be securing the necessary funding so that necessary work within the building can be carried out. Hopefully this can be done as quickly as possible so that the community can get in and start using the new community hub.”
According to Cllr Dermot ‘Daisy’ O’Brien “It’s critically important that we identify sites and opportunities for developing community facilities. We are currently working off a deficit in that regard and as our district grows and develops, we must grow and develop its amenities. The well-being of our community is directly linked to the facilities it provides, whether that be sports, leisure, support services or places to gather in groups. While this amenity will not be the solution to everyone’s needs it is certainly a positive step in the right direction.”
Cllr Grace McManus concluded “This is very welcome news to be starting off a new year with. People are looking to build back and strengthen our sense of community, and projects like this give them space to do so. My appreciation for all the work that has gone into this so far, and I’m looking forward to seeing what this space can become.”
