Arklow Harbour To Get New Commercial Fisheries Pontoon.

The Arklow Bank Wind Park Phase 2 Fisheries Fund will support Wicklow County Council on the delivery of a new, state of the art commercial fisheries pontoon at South Dock in Arklow Harbour.

The Arklow Bank Wind Park Phase 2 Fisheries Fund will support Wicklow County Council on the delivery of a new, state of the art commercial fisheries pontoon at South Dock in Arklow Harbour.

At a special meeting of Arklow Municipal District on 2nd September, the Members approved the Part 8 associated with the development of a pontoon at South Quay, which will facilitate the commencement of works..Brian Gleeson, Chief Executive , Wicklow County Council said: ,”We welcome this contribution from SSE Renewables, which together with Wicklow County Council’s investment of €200,000 in the project from the Brexit Adjustment Local Authority Marine Infrastructure (BALAMI) Scheme will enhance and improve the facilities in berthing Arklow Harbour”.

SSE Renewables will co-develop this infrastructure with Wicklow County Council which was part-funded under the Arklow Bank Wind Park Phase 2 Fisheries Fund.The annual €50,000 fund, which is available to the commercial fisheries community, was launched during the early development phase of the project.The sum of €120,000 will be invested by SSE Renewables to support delivery of the pontoon.

Kaj Christiansen, Development Manager, SSE Renewables said: “The Arklow Bank Wind Park Phase 2 project team is delighted to see this project progressed, the benefits of which we hope the local commercial fisheries community will enjoy for many years to come. The support of the Arklow Municipal District members who approved of the delivery of the pontoon shows a commitment to the fishing industry and the ambitions of SSE Renewables to deliver the Arklow Bank project.”

SSE Renewables Fisheries Liaison Officer (FLO) Brendan Dillon engaged with the fishing industry members very early in this campaign to better understand the preferred initiative.A series of proposals were considered and after further consultation with Wicklow County Council and all relevant stakeholders, it was agreed that the pontoon initiative would progress to the planning consultation process.Cllr. Tommy Annesley, Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council said: “I wish to acknowledge this significant contribution by SSE Renewables to this project, which clearly demonstrates their commitment to Arklow Harbour. This pontoon will be of significant benefit to the fishermen and will ultimately improve safety and efficiency when accessing  their vessels’.Wicklow County Council will now progress design and procurement activities to ensure delivery next year.