Stunning seaside site with potential for more than 450 homes in Wicklow town

A stunning coastal site with potential for more than 450 homes close to Wicklow town is going to tender, with an expected sale price of more than €7 million.

The Murrough in Co Wicklow3, is a strip of land bounded by the Irish Sea and the Vartry river. The sale of a prime development site on it gives the purchaser the opportunity to develop a landmark development in one of Ireland’s fastest-growing commuter towns.

The site is for sale by tender with Vincent Finnegan Commercial, with a deadline of March 25th. There is no guide price on the land, but market sources say it could be worth in excess of €7 million.

The 7.57 acre (3.064 hectare) site is the former home of the Veha factory, a radiator plant that closed in 2005. The site is covered by the Wicklow Town/Rathnew Development Plan 2013-2019 and is zoned mixed use, which includes residential, community, employment and retail uses.

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Potential

As a result, the site offers significant potential for redevelopment, and with the Vartry on one side and the Irish Sea on the other it offers a development opportunity to create waterside living close to town and transport links.

A feasibility study conducted by Brady Mallalieu Architects revealed the potential for 700 units on the site, comprised of two-bed apartments and three-bed townhouses.

Another proposal, for a less dense scheme, suggests the potential for 456 dwellings at the site, comprised of 150 townhouses and 306 apartments.

The apartments would be located along the eastern boundary of the site facing the sea, accommodated in 26 blocks of various heights. The townhouses would be located to the western half of the site, which overlooks the river. A main spine road in the study runs north to south within the site and separates the apartments from the townhouses.

The site has also been designated as part of the Murrough Opportunity Area, a mixed-use urban area extending from the northern boundary of the site to as far as Urban Villas and the village park to the south. The site is mapped as an “opportunity area suitable for redevelopment” that would provide for higher-density development.

Given the location of the Murrough so close to the town centre, it is envisaged that it will become an extension of the existing town centre, with a focus on diversified uses such as residential development, tourism and recreation.

The site is a five-minute walk from the train station, which has direct rail links to Dublin city centre. The neighbouring town of Greystones is 20km away, Bray 25km and the M50 31km.

Wicklow town is established as both a commuter town and provincial centre with a population of more than 10,500. The town provides a wide range of amenities, including restaurants, pubs and cafes, while the Wicklow mountains and Glendalough national park are a short drive away.